


taking pictures of you

by g0ldrush



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating, Fluff, Office AU, opal and kuvira are korra’s besties & they’re dumb as fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28802841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0ldrush/pseuds/g0ldrush
Summary: “Okay, last rule.” Korra shoves the notebook in between them, intent on distracting Asami from her nightmare of an Instagram account. “Five seems like a good place to end. Any ideas?”“I got one.” Asami leans forward in her seat slightly. “Promise not to fall in love with me by the end of this.”
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 221
Kudos: 736





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> helloooo! you all chose the fake dating au so here it is! this is my first story where i incorporate atla characters, who are btw, around the same age as asami and korra loool

There’s no part of Korra’s day better than lunchtime. 

The damn good lunch she’s packed if she’s meal prepped for the week- the myriad of cafeteria options if she hasn’t. The break from the politics and ridiculousness of working in the HR department. The top up of caffeine after her morning coffee begins to wear off. 

But the best part of it all? Having forty five minutes to gossip with Kuvira and Opal, everything regarding their love lives and their coworkers and being noisy enough to annoy everyone else in the cafeteria. 

Today, Korra’s the one partly responsible for inciting their shenanigans. She just can’t help it, not when her ex Ginger from marketing apparently has a new boyfriend and Korra knows for a fact that he isn’t gonna make her come as many times as Korra had when they were dating. 

“I’m telling you, she is never going to have it as good as when she had me.” Korra takes a sip of her coke as she watches Ginger by the vending machine, arm in arm with said new boyfriend. 

“You don’t sound jealous at all,” Opal’s smile is all too knowing, and Korra has to stick her tongue out at her. 

“I’m not jealous.” She isn’t. “Ginger was a total pillow princess in bed. You think I want that situation again? No, thank you.”

Kuvira snickers. “We were almost convinced for a second there.” 

“Please. I feel bad for her, if anything. She probably isn’t gonna get what she needs from him.” Korra tries to picture what the clean cut guy beside Ginger does in bed. Somehow, with the side part and tucked in shirt and loafers, she finds that she can’t. 

“And what is it that she needs? Your tongue? Your fingers?” Opal wiggles her eyebrows. “Your strap?” 

“You two are hateful.” Korra scowls as Kuvira starts smacking the table from laughing so hard. 

“All I’m saying is that Ginger can do better. Though honestly, so can I. And she wasn’t even my last girlfriend. I can get ladies,” Korra scoffs as she says it. She totally can. She’s a ladykiller. 

She is. 

Ish. 

“Is that so, Korra? Tell us, who are the last few girls you got?” Opal cocks her head, wiggles in her seat like she’s excited for Korra’s answer. 

Hmph. 

“Well. There was Ginger, obviously. Who was all over me when we were dating. There was Ty Lee. Suki. There was Zhu Li for a short time, too.”

Kuvira wrinkles her nose. “Y’know, I always forget you dated Zhu Li. That concept’s fucking weird.”

“It was fucking weird. That’s why we broke up so fast.” Korra shudders. “All I’m saying, though, is that I can get me a lady. I’m a catch, I really am. Hey, stop laughing!”

Opal and Kuvira are too busy guffawing to hear her, and Korra can’t take this attack on her reputation, she really can’t. She’s got game, and she knows she can prove it.

“Fine. Name a girl. Any lady that works here, even if she is straight. I bet I can get her to go out with me,” She wiggles her eyebrows. “It’s the Korra charm.”

“Ooh bitch, you’re asking for it. This is going to be good. We gotta think.” Kuvira drums her fingers on the table, leans back in her chair as Opal takes a sip of her drink.

Korra takes a bite of her sandwich, tries not to be bothered as Kuvira and Opal let out hmmms and wonders. That is, until Kuvira slams her fist on the table.

“Asami motherfucking Sato.”

“What-”

“Not her-”

“I said what I said.” Kuvira gestures to Asami, one of the firm’s top architecture project managers, currently waiting in line for her coffee across the cafeteria. 

A specimen so fine that even Korra feels a tingle running down her spine. Or maybe that’s because she needs to pee. 

Regardless. 

“You land her? I’ll buy your lunch for a month.” Kuvira leans back in her seat, crosses her arms. 

“Shit, really?” Korra raises an eyebrow at her. “An entire month?”

“You’re acting like you have a chance of success in the first place.” Kuvira looks a little too amused for Korra’s liking, and she feels herself bristle just a bit. 

“I sure as hell do.” Sure, maybe Korra’s talking out of her ass, but she’s not gonna show it. Not to Kuvira and Opal who are regarding her with smug smiles. 

So what if Asami, in her six inch stilettos and pencil skirt that hugs her ass perfectly, is sure as fuck out of Korra’s league? So what if Asami’s known for turning down men and women alike that try to ask her out without so much as a second glance?

Asami doesn’t wear a ring, which means that she’s fair game. And Korra’s going to make it happen. 

“Just you wait. I’m gonna to make Miss Sato fall head over heels for me.”

Sure, the drama of Korra’s statement is slightly ruined by Kuvira letting out a snort, but the effect is strong enough. 

Korra’s not going to have to meal prep for an entire month, if she can play her cards just right. 

****

Asami Sato is a creature of habit. 

Waking up, then going on a thirty minute run. Breakfast of kale and egg whites. Reaching work ten minutes early. Touching base with all the leads on her current project, making sure that it’s going smoothly. Getting the work done that she needs to before lunch rolls around, a lunch that she spends on her phone catching up with even more work emails. Working until precisely 4:30 pm, when she can roll out the door in time to make her spin class at 5:15 up in midtown. 

There isn’t much that disrupts the routine if she has anything to say about it. That is, until she’s packing up at 4:32 and slipping her coat on and a woman knocks on her office door, entering before she can say anything. 

“Ms.Sato, right?” The woman flashes her a smile bright enough to knock out the power in the city, and Asami’s attention is definitely captured away from her things on her desk. 

The woman looks familiar. HR, maybe? Maybe the one who’d come around after Wu had said lewd things to Asami’s secretary. Though Asami’s not sure. “And you are…?”

“Oh! Right.” The woman pauses, sticking out a hand. “Korra.” 

Asami shakes the woman’s hand, noting that her grip is firm, something she always likes. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m here on…non work related business.” Korra’s smile is sheepish, and Asami pauses, waiting for her to continue, because she has no idea what the business could possibly be. 

“So, here’s the thing. I have a bet to win that involves no meal prep for me for an entire month.” Korra drums her fingers on Asami’s desk, almost nervously. 

Asami raises an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with me?” 

She’s never really interacted with Korra before, so she’s not sure how-

“The bet involves you, too.” Korra’s fidgety now, and it almost makes Asami want to laugh, how nervous she is. “Two coworkers bet that I couldn’t get you to go out with me.”

Really?

Asami snorts, because really, she should have expected it. “Did they, now?”

“Listen, I know it sounds wack-”

“No thanks.” Asami goes back to packing up her things, tucking confidential files into the drawers of her desk, pulling her coat over her shoulders. “Don’t think I can help you out with that.”

Korra, for her part, remains unperturbed. “There’s perks. You can split the free food with me.”

Asami snorts. “While that’s a very generous offer, I’m still going to have to say no.” 

“Aw, why not?” Korra comes around the side of her desk, and Asami gets a good look at her. She’s looking up at Asami with a defiant expression in her bright blue eyes, one that doesn’t want to take no for an answer, and Asami almost respects it.

But she also has a spin class to get to, which means that ‘almost’ isn’t really enough to make her want to be late. 

“Okay, look.” Korra continues when Asami doesn’t answer, instead focusing on zipping up her coat. “This isn’t all just for my benefit. It could help you too.”

“Oh yeah? How so?” Asami lets her keep talking for the sole fact that she wants to see where Korra’s reasoning will go. Korra’s incredibly entertaining, as much as Asami doesn’t want to admit it. 

“Isn’t there lots of people who try getting with you? You’re like The Bachelorette of this office building.” 

Asami has to hold back a laugh. “There are people that have tried to ask me out, yes. But I wouldn’t necessarily call myself that.” 

“Chris Harrison must be lurking around here somewhere to host a season for you.” Korra’s grinning, and Asami can’t help but notice how cute it is. “I’d wanna be on that season.”

“Would you now?”

“Yeah, but that’s not the point. The point is, you have a lot people bothering you, right? This way you can pretend to date me and just say you’re taken.” Korra’s looking at her like she’s just solved the world’s biggest math problem. 

“I don’t know if that would necessarily work. We’d have to convince people that we were actually together, first of all.”

Korra waves a hand. “It doesn’t take an Oscar-worthy acting performance to fool them. We could do it. Plus, don’t you have people who bother you about finding someone? Friends and family?”

Asami thinks back to her last get together with Mai, when they’d gotten drinks and Mai kept waving her engagement ring around like it was a prized possession, like having a ring on her finger had magically solved all of her problems. Which it hadn’t, obviously, because despite the engagement ring Mai still has to deal with her car transmission needing repairs and her boyfriend (fiancé) coming home from work too late. So what’s the point, really?

Though it never stops Mai and Bolin from trying to set Asami up with their friends, from them lamenting on and on that Asami will eventually find the right person, she will, despite the fact that Asami doesn’t really care.

Or wants to find anyone, really.

Asami’s got her job and her vibrator. The only two things she needs in life, really, for fulfillment. 

But Korra’s still standing there, an expectant look on her face as she waits for Asami’s answer. Asami can tell that Korra’s already gotten her figured out.

“Maybe.”

“This can get them off your back. All we have to do is show up at social engagements and work events and stuff and, bam. Fake couple. We both get a payout.” Korra grins, really grins, rubbing her hands together like a scheming cartoon villain, and Asami can’t help how entertaining she finds her.

“You’re still offering half of your free lunches?” Asami holds back a snort.

“We can cross that bridge when we get to it.” Korra waves a hand, before reaching across Asami’s desk to grab the stack of post-it notes that sits next to her coffee mug. 

Korra scrawls ten digits in messy handwriting, sliding them across the desk towards Asami. “In the meantime? Think about it. Get back to me.” 

With that, Korra turns on her heel and leaves, but not before shooting a wink in Asami’s direction. Asami finds herself stuck in place for longer than she wants to admit, replaying the sway in Korra’s hips as she lets the door close behind her. 

She snaps out of it when she looks down at the numbers scrawled on the post-it note, followed by a short, almost indecipherable message in messy handwriting. 

_ U know how to reach me :) -Korra _

The text comes through a couple of days later when Korra’s going over some policy that her supervisor wants to review again for the millionth time, and she nearly drops her phone in excitement when the unknown number pops up, because finally. 

**Fine. We can try to do this.**

“Yesssss!” Korra can’t help the little fist pump that escapes her, because Asami’s agreed and she gets free food but most importantly, the chance to rub it in the faces of Kuvira and Opal. 

Korra saves the number as quickly as she can before replying. 

**Korra: knew u would see the light sooner or later.**

**Asami: Awful presumptuous.**

**Korra: it’s just smart business!**

**Asami: How is any of this a business deal?**

**Korra: I dunno but I sure as hell am feeling as smug as the suits in our office building.**

**Asami: Regardless, we gotta lay down some ground rules. For this to even work.**

**Korra: I’m snoozing already**

**Korra: let’s do this over lunch**

**Asami: Are you food motivated for everything in your life?**

**Korra: maybe**

**Korra: narook's at 12:30?**

**Asami: Unbelievable**

**Asami: See you then.**

Narook's Seaweed Noodlery is a hole in the wall across the street from their office building that, in Korra’s eyes, has the best damn noodles in the city. She rubs her hands together in excitement before digging into her ramen, wanting to make it last as long as possible.

Asami's sitting across the table, and looking at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. “That excited for your noodles?”

Korra scoffs at the sad looking bowl in front of Asami. “Better than coming to a noodle shop and ordering a damn salad. What are you, a rabbit?”

“A rabbit who knows what she likes.” Asami raises her fork towards Korra before taking a bite. “So. Rules.”

“Right, rules.” Korra rummages in her bag before pulling out a notebook and pen. She’s not going to be unprepared, not when she can get free lunch from her friends out of it. “Number one, no dating anyone else while we are faking it. Obviously.”

“You’re acting as if that’s a rule I would break.” Asami has a smile playing on her lips and Korra scoffs. 

“Just being thorough. I won’t either, so.”

“Or I’d be so heartbroken if you did.” Asami jokes. 

Korra sticks her tongue out at Asami, who seems to be enjoying their situation way too much. “Not even an hour into fake dating and you already pulling on my pigtails.”

“Sorry.” Asami winks and Korra’s breath absolutely does not hitch in her throat at the sight, no ma’am. “Rule two?”

“We gotta show up at some events together. To sell it and all that, otherwise Opal isn’t gonna buy it.” Korra can already see Opal’s piercing gaze. 

“Doable.” Asami writes it down in the notebook. “Events like what?”

“Like some group dinners or evenings out, or holiday or New Years parties coming up, things like that.”

“Okay. Rule three?” Asami’s pen is poised to write and Korra kinda likes it, how in sync they are already.

Korra almost doesn’t want to bring up the next one, but since it’ll be a big component of faking a relationship, she grits her teeth and leans forward on the table to ask the question. “PDA. Thoughts?”

Asami wrinkles her nose. “Not too big on overdoing it, but I can take some pecks here and there. Holding hands, being arm in arm.”

Korra nearly awws, because Asami’s description is akin to the time in seventh grade when she'd ‘dated’ a boy in her class for three weeks before he broke up with her by the baseball diamond.

Not her finest moment, dating wise.

“I can do that.” The more she thinks about it, the more Korra is open to the idea. Participating in all of the innocent, early parts of a relationship, the ones viewed by everyone. 

A small part of Korra wonders how Asami’s hand will fit in hers, if it’ll be warm or cold. If she’ll fit against Asami’s side like she belongs there. She's excited to find out.

Asami leans forward in her seat. “Not a rule but - how are we going to tell people we started seeing each other? What will the story be?”

Korra pauses and thinks, really thinks. She wants it to be elaborate but not so elaborate that it’s unbelievable, but just enough detail to convince others that their story is authentic. 

“Easy. We ran into each other in the hall and you spilled coffee on my shirt and helped me clean it up in the bathroom, and the rest is history.” Korra’s proud of her imagination, really, until Asami snorts.

“So we started dating because you took your shirt off?”

Korra huffs. “Got any better ideas?”

“Sticking with the coffee theme, here’s one. We started talking in the line for Starbucks and coincidentally ordered the same drink, then sat and talked about it, before talking about other things. Then you left your number on my cup before you left.” Asami looks entirely too pleased with herself, the smile lighting her features as she takes a bite of her salad.

Korra’s not sold, though. “Why am I the one who writes the number?”

“Why, never had the guts to leave a girl your number before?”

“Hey,” Korra swats at Asami’s arm, ignores the way she’s snickering. She knows that Asami’s trying to bait her, she is, that somehow she’s already figured out the way that Korra ticks.

Doesn’t mean she’s going to try something different this time, though.

“Fine. I write the number. Let’s go with yours.” Korra lets out a huff before grabbing the pen from Asami’s hand, writing their origin story on a corner of the page.

But they need to get back to the task at hand, something that Korra realizes when she puts the lid back on her pen. She uncaps it once more. “Rule number four. Social media. We have to add each other on Instagram and post with each other here and there.”

“All I post on Instagram are my two cats.” Asami’s smile is sheepish and Korra can’t help but let out a snort.

“We’ll sprinkle in some actual humans in between the cats.”

“Fine. Gimme your phone so I can add myself.”

Korra files a note to herself to stalk through Asami’s instagram later after Asami accepts her follow request, to look past the cats and for some more information about her, maybe about her past exes-

Nah. Just to be thorough, make sure she knows just enough. 

Asami holds up her own phone, the screen on a boomerang of Korra on vacation with Kuvira, facing away from the camera and pulling her bikini bottoms down for just a second. “Seems like your vacations are fun.” 

“Hey-” Korra tries to reach for Asami’s phone but Asami’s arms are longer, easily holding the phone out of Korra’s way.

“I feel like I’m going to have a great time scrolling through your instagram, I really do.” Asami’s looking smug, too smug, and Korra huffs.

“Don’t think I won’t find your weird posts, too.”

Asami’s eyes are sparkling. “I know you will. Though I’m not as defensive as you are."

“Okay, last rule.” Korra shoves the notebook in between them, intent on distracting Asami from her nightmare of an Instagram account. “Five seems like a good place to end. Any ideas?”

“I got one.” Asami leans forward in her seat slightly. “Promise not to fall in love with me by the end of this.”

Korra lets out a laugh, an actual laugh, because Asami is awfully presumptuous. “I’m only in this for free food and bragging rights against Opal. That won’t be a problem at all, don’t you worry,” She pauses, looking back over at Asami, who still has a shit eating grin on her face. “And you can’t fall in love with me, either. I know I’m irresistible and all that, but-”

Asami raises an eyebrow. “Please. I’m just doing this to get my friends off my back. You’ll be just fine.”

Korra wonders what it’ll be like meeting Asami’s friends. What they’re like, what they’ll think of her. Not that it matters, really, since it’s all gonna be fake. But still.

“I think that covers it all.” Korra looks at their list, pleased with how it’s all beginning to come together. “We’ll be able to fool them, easy.”

“You think so?” Asami trails her pen over the list, as if she’s trying to find something that they’ve missed.

“I know so. And hey, if we want to add or take something out, we can always change it. This list is open to edits.” 

Asami looks satisfied. “Good. And like any good paper contract, we have to sign on the dotted line.” 

Her signature on the bottom of the page is fancy, all loops and flourishes and Korra can’t help but scoff. “What kinda extra-ass signature is that?” 

“A nice one. Yours is boring.” Asami points to Korra’s, smaller and definitely one with less loops and Korra crosses her arms.

“You’re boring.”

“Ooh, great comeback.” Asami’s smiling, though, and it keeps Korra from wanting to reach over the table and shove her. “So, are we good to go?”

Korra sticks out a hand and Asami shakes it with a firm grip. “That we are. Time to pull the greatest trick that our office ever did see.” 

Rules:

No dating anyone else.

Show up at events together.

Light PDA only.

Interact on social media like a couple.

No falling in love. 

**_Instagram story posted by @korrawaters. Location: @narooksnoodlery. Tagged: @asamisato. Description: A boomerang of Asami Sato sitting at a table, munching on what appears to be a salad. A gif of a rabbit eating a carrot is in the bottom left corner._ **


	2. Chapter 2

Korra is already bouncing in the Starbucks line before even getting her sweet, sweet hit of caffeine. 

“Hi, welcome to Starbucks, what would you like?”

“Can I have a grande blonde roast, two creams, two sugars...and a grande dark roast, black with room for milk?” 

Korra’s own coffee needs to be chock-full of sugar in order for her to be able to drink it, but Asami? Korra’s not quite sure what she likes, but a dark roast with cream and sugar brought on the side seems like a safe option.

Kuvira and Opal look at her with questions on their faces as they wait for their drinks to finish, Opal already munching on her breakfast sandwich.

“Why are you ordering two?” Kuvira’s looking at her with narrowed eyes, and it’s all Korra can do to not yell in excitement as she tries to keep herself blasé. 

“Oh, no reason. Thought I’d drop by Asami’s office, that’s all. We are going on a date tonight.” She holds her fingers out in front of her, inspects her cuticles, as if it’s an everyday statement, a normal occurrence to go out with the office building’s most eligible bachelorette. 

Which it completely isn’t, by the way that Opal slams her breakfast sandwich down on the counter.

“You’re what?” Kuvira’s yell makes other customers around them turn around, stare, and Korra doesn’t even care, because the looks on Kuvira and Opal’s faces are enough to keep her laughing for days.

“Goddamn, Korra. You really got that beautiful skyscraper to agree to go on a date with you?” Opal looks mildly impressed. “To be honest, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I told you all, I’m a catch.” Sure, Korra’s voice is a bit haughty for someone who is absolutely not going on a proper date with Asami, rather a fake one, but regardless. She’s gonna milk it. 

“I’m surprised someone sees it.” Opal shares a look with Kuvira, who is shaking her head in disbelief. “Even more surprised that it’s her.”

“No one can resist the Korra charm.” With that, Korra picks up both drinks, winking at her friends before heading to the elevators. “Bye!”

Asami is mildly amused when Korra swings by her office, placing the coffee in her empty hand. “How’d you know I like my coffee black?”

Korra raises an eyebrow at her. “You look like the kind of person who thinks that putting sugar and cream in coffee ruins the taste or something.”

“It does actually, it-” Asami pauses when she sees Korra snickering. “Hmph, never mind.”

“You enjoy your boring coffee, I'm going to enjoy this sugary goodness.” Korra’s own drink smells like caffeinated heaven, and so what if she takes a big sniff of the cup? No one’s judging her. 

Okay, maybe Asami is, from the way a single eyebrow of hers is raised, but Korra also doesn’t care. 

“You are absolutely going to have a sugar crash in an hour or two from that.” Asami points at her cup as she takes another swig. 

“Bold of you to assume my body hasn’t built up an immunity to sugar because of how much of it I have on the daily.” 

“You’re ridiculous.” But Asami laughs as she’s saying it, a real laugh, by the way her eyes are wrinkling at the edges. 

“Count on it.” Korra plops into Asami’s fancy desk chair, her office a stark contrast from Korra’s cubicle. “Damn, this is comfy. Do you have to buy all of this? Or did they just give it to you?”

“Amazon, actually. I have a bad back.” Asami leans against her own desk, facing Korra. Her legs look like they go on forever in her heeled boots, though Korra is absolutely not focusing on them. 

“Send me the link, would you? I want to pimp out my boring cubicle.”

Asami snorts. “Now that’s a trashy reality show I would watch.”

“Speaking of which, we got our first fake date tonight.” Korra crosses one leg over the other in the office chair, leans back against it. “I’m thinking- trashy TV show marathon.”

Asami raises an eyebrow. “For our first date? You gotta take me somewhere classy, treat me real nice.” Asami is fully enjoying the conversation at Korra’s expense, leaning forward as she winks at her. “If you wanna keep a lady around you have to make her feel like a queen, y’know.”

“Goddamn, we aren’t even real dating and we got demands here.” But it doesn’t deter Korra in the least - in fact, if Asami wants to enjoy this scam that they’re pulling off, Korra’s gonna make sure she does by planning the best damn date ever. 

****

Korra discovers that she has incredible difficulty planning the ‘best damn date ever,’ even when it’s fake. 

“Girls, where do I take her? I haven’t planned anything! I told her to dress up real nice, now she is probably expecting something special and I was so excited for the date that I forgot to plan. Shit!”

To an outsider, it looks like Korra’s officially lost her marbles, talking to herself. While she certainly does feel that way, she’s got her good friends on the open FaceTime screen, ready to help her in times of crisis such as these. 

Korra’s rifling through her closet, pulling out dress after dress because none of them will work, not in the least. They’re too long or not long enough- she needs the perfect amount of classy, and it’s nowhere to be found. 

“Korra, how about that fancy restaurant uptown?” 

Kuvira’s suggestion is nice, sure, but absolutely no help. “That place has been booked up for months, Kuvira. There is no way I’m gonna get a reservation for tonight.”

“Take her to a movie or something, then take her to a restaurant after.” Opal suggests. 

“But that’s so boring, that’s what everyone does on every first date to ever exist. I want to wow her.”

Korra’s not even sure why it matters so much to her - the date is not even a real date, for crying out loud. But part of her still wants to impress Asami, make her enjoy herself, because she’s still taking time out of her own evening to spend with Korra after all, real or not. 

“I’ve got nothing left for you.” Kuvira shrugs, grabbing another handful of popcorn that she’s popped specifically to watch Korra’s dramatics. “You’re on your own.” 

Korra looks out the window of her apartment, sees the glittering lights and skyscrapers that feel so far away and-

“Shit, I’ve got it!”

**** 

“Planetarium, huh?” 

Asami’s impressed- Korra can tell these types of things. It makes her more excited than she wants to admit. 

“Ah y’know, nice chill first date.” As if Korra hasn’t already tried to pat herself on the back for coming up with it. “Anyone tell you that you look killer, by the way?”

Asami does, in a black knee length dress that makes Korra’s eyes constantly trail to her-

She can control herself. She’s not a teenage boy. Or is trying not to be. 

Asami gives her an appreciative once over in response, one that makes Korra squirm under her gaze even though she knows that there’s nothing behind it, that it’s platonic. Because there’s something about having Asami’s full attention that still feels like a bit too much, like it’s taking her breath away. 

“Where do you want to sit?” Asami’s looking at her with an eyebrow raised, as if she’s already asked the question more than once, as if the first time had flown over Korra’s head. If it has, Korra’s unaware of it. 

But she’s not going to make it a habit. Asami’s just a person - a smoking hot one, sure, but still just a person. Someone who’s helping her win a bet against Opal and Kuvira, and so Korra owes it to both of them to make sure they have fun in the process. 

So, she’s gonna make sure Asami has the best fake first date in her damn life. 

“Let’s go to the back. My neck's gonna cramp up if we take the front.” Korra takes a step up the stairs, but not before interlocking fingers with Asami - after all, if she’s gonna play the part, she’s gonna fully go for it. 

Asami shrugs, but doesn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she tightens their grip. “Works for me. Lead the way.” 

The theatre darkens as they take their seats, and the announcer’s voice is hard to focus on, it is, when the ceiling above them is lit up with stars and galaxies. Twinkles that seem so in reach, so close by, not like the huge bundles of fire that they actually are, the ones that burn should anyone get too close. 

It’s mesmerizing. 

Korra feels the resurfacing of the niche outer space facts from her childhood, from the kid’s encyclopedias that her mom would get for her. The ones that Korra would pour over, trying to absorb everything she could, back when her biggest problems in life could be solved by thumbing through the pages. 

“Did you know that any of these stars would have burned out ages ago and we wouldn’t know, because of how far away they are? They’re hundreds of light years away so when we see them burn out, it’s actually happened centuries back. But we only find out about it now.” Korra whispers the words because the narrator is still droning on and she doesn’t want to disrupt anyone else. 

But it’s cool. 

Asami looks over for a second, unspoken questions on her face that Korra can’t quite decipher. “How’d you know so much about space?” 

Asami’s voice is a whisper too, not wanting to disturb the presentation either, and it strikes Korra how much the reflection of the stars in Asami’s green eyes is really making them shine. 

“Astronaut was my backup career after HR.” The statement has the intended outcome of making Asami laugh, and it feels better than Korra wants to admit. “You didn’t have obsessions as a kid?” 

Asami pauses, really thinks. “Mine was the Titanic, when I was eight. Not the movie, but the actual sinking of the ship itself. I was fascinated by it.”

Korra wrinkles her nose. “The ship? Why?”

“I dunno,” Asami shrugs, “think it was the way it contradicted itself. Supposed to be the unsinkable ship, branded as such. Treated as such. Yet it went down on the first voyage.” 

“That’s what happens when you get overcocky. Can’t mouth off too much.” Korra tries to hold back a laugh when Asami looks over at her, the scandalized furrow of her brow fitting perfectly from the way her mouth has slightly fallen open. “Am I wrong, though?” 

Asami lets out a huff. “No. But still.” 

But Asami’s face can’t hold its serious expression for long, though, something Korra is delighted to see. Korra grins when Asami leans back in her seat, tugs on the bracelet on her wrist. “Tell me more outer space facts, space girl.”

“What kinda nickname is that?”

Asami grins. “One that somehow fits you.”

**_Instagram story posted by @asamisato. Location: @haydenobservatory. Tagged: @korrawaters. Description: A boomerang of Korra spinning in a circle, the ends of her dress twirling around her, under a backdrop of stars._ **

**** 

“So, there we were in Target, my grandma completely having lost control of the motorized scooter, about to crash into the display of paper towels, my mom running after her screaming, a bunch of other customers watching with their mouths open, and me and my aunt laughing so hard that we’re about to fall over.” Korra’s eyes are lit up as she sets the scene, and Asami doesn’t think she’s ever laughed so much in her life.

“Stop, stop. I’m gonna pee.” Asami has to wipe a tear from her eye, trying desperately to hold back the giggles that are threatening to bubble up again whenever she so much as makes eye contact with Korra.

“So then she crashes, right? But then one of the wheels is still going so she starts spinning. Spinning. Meanwhile my mom is trying to turn off the dang thing, and you know what starts playing in the background?” Korra takes a bite of her pasta, and Asami wants to take a sip of her own drink, she really does, but she’s afraid of doing a spit take at this point. 

“Oh, god. What?”

Korra giggles before she can get the words out. “‘You Spin Me Round’ by Dead or Alive. You know, ‘you spin me right round baby, right round like a record player…’”

“Shut up.” Asami has to clap a hand over her mouth because the other diners at the restaurant are looking over at the two of them, but she can’t help it, can’t help the laughter because Korra is hysterical. 

“I’m not playing, it really did! My aunt and I were absolutely losing it and no help whatsoever to my grandma. Some random pimply sixteen year old that worked there had to come and turn her scooter off.”

“She wasn’t hurt, was she?” Asami pauses, realizing that the story could have more serious consequences on the way. She doesn’t want to be disrespectful towards Korra’s grandma, she really doesn’t-

But Korra waves her hand. “Nah, she was fine. In fact, when they got her up again, she started grumbling on about how the fastest setting on the scooter was still too slow. Adrenaline junkie.”

Asami tries to picture what Korra’s grandma would look like, speeding a little too fast on her scooter. “Somehow, she sounds like you when you’ll be older.” 

Korra snorts. “I can’t even argue that. We basically the same.” 

“You’re ridiculous, and I love it.” Asami rests her chin on her hands as she glances across the table over towards Korra, still shoveling down her pasta. “God, why haven’t we ever talked before?” 

“Maybe ‘cause we’re in completely different departments?” Korra raises an eyebrow, her lips curling up. “And tell me you’d still give me the time of day if I hadn’t barged into your office one day and roped you into this little scheme of mine.”

“Hey, I would have!” Asami’s indignant, because she so would. She’s not that closed off. “I think.”

She thinks. 

“So me striking up a conversation in the Starbucks line about my wheelie-loving grandma would have gone over well?” Korra lets out a laugh, and Asami can’t help it either, at the mental image of Korra tapping her shoulder to do so. 

“To be fair, that’s not a scenario that’s ever really crossed my mind before. Do you often bother people about your grandma?” 

Korra doesn’t miss a beat. “Only the ones who get as delighted about it as you do.” She leans back in her seat, putting her fork down. “That being said? I’m glad we talking now, ‘cause you’re more fun than you seem.” 

Asami scoffs. “I’m plenty fun, thank you very much.”

“I’m sure you are. So hey, how about for our next fake date you introduce me to those pussycats of yours?” Korra pauses, her lips pursed together to keep herself from cracking up. “Not your actual pussy, remember, we are fake dating, not real dating, jesus-”

“Oh, shut up.” Asami reaches out to shove Korra’s shoulder, her hand nearly landing on the table when Korra dodges it. “Just for that, no meeting the cats for you.”

“Mean.” Korra sticks her tongue out at her and Asami snorts. 

But now that Korra’s said it, she’s coming around to the idea. It would be kinda nice to hang out more with Korra, even if the purpose is to post things on social media to fool her friends into thinking that they’re dating. Because it would be fun - her and Korra clearly get along great, and, well-

Having another friend wouldn’t be so bad. 

“Tell you what. You can come over and meet the cats, but I pick the show we watch.” 

Korra grins at her suggestion. “Trying to Netflix and chill me already?” 

Asami rolls her eyes. “You’re relentless.”

“And yet, you enjoy it.” Korra wiggles her eyebrows as she takes a sip of her drink. 

It's true. Korra is hysterical, fun to talk to. Sure, a little ridiculous at times, but it’s what Asami needs - someone to balance her out a little. 

“Honestly? Somehow, I kinda do.” 

**** 

“You went on a date.”

“Yep.”

“You, Asami Sato, went on a date.”

“You bet.”

“You went on a date?”

“Is that really so hard to believe, Mai?”

Mai takes a big sip of her wine, as if she needs it to get through the conversation. Asami can’t blame her for it.

“I’ve known you for seven years and not once have you been on a date.” Mai’s pointing a finger at her, and she shrugs.

“What’s wrong with being picky?”

“It’s not being picky if you absolutely refuse everyone . Except, it seems, for this new girl.” Mai’s already leaning forward, resting her head on her hands with a grin on her face. “So, you need to tell me absolutely everything about her because this is the best day of my entire life.”

Asami raises an eyebrow. “More than the day when Zuko proposed to you?”

Mai pauses. “Well, maybe. Actually, I think those two would be on the same level.” She shrugs when she sees Asami’s skeptical expression. “C’mon, this literally never happens. It’s exciting. Now tell me about her.”

“She’s in HR, we struck up a conversation and she asked me out on a date and I said yes?” So what if Asami’s explanation ends in a question? 

“You said yes.”

“Yeah? How else would we have gone on a date?”

“But you never say yes.” Mai’s brow is furrowed as if she’s trying to solve the world’s biggest math problem, and it almost makes Asami laugh.

“I did this time.” Asami shrugs, taking a sip of her wine to avoid eye contact with Mai. 

“But why? Why this time?”

Asami pauses, because she can’t give Mai the real answer. That they’re doing this for shits and giggles and so that Asami won’t have to deal with people trying to set her up.

So, she goes another route. 

“I dunno. She’s funny, I like her. She made me laugh more in that first conversation with her than I’ve laughed with anyone else. So, maybe I just want a bit more laughter in my life.”

It’s true, when Asami thinks about it. Fake dating or not, Korra is fun. Someone who is genuinely delightful, genuinely fun to spend time with. Their date hadn’t even been a real one but it’s probably the best one Asami’s had, maybe ever, solely because of how much she’d enjoyed herself. How much fun Korra is to be around.

Asami’s going to try and stay her friend, once they’re done this nonsense. To still hang out with Korra and be her friend (are they friends?) because she’s someone that doesn’t drain or tire Asami out, despite her exuberance.

Mai’s eating it up, from the way that her eyes are wide, how her lips are forming a soft pout. “That’s so fucking cute, you absolute sap.”

“That wasn’t sappy in the least and you know it.”

Mai waves a hand. “Whatever. From you, it’s practically a declaration of love. Anyway, can’t wait to be your maid of honor at the wedding.”

“Don’t you start.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for your amazing feedback! here’s chapter 3, enjoy xx

“You’re taking this really hard, Kuvira.”

“All I want- all I want on a day like this, a day with too many annoying clients, a day where my coffee machine didn’t work this morning, is a nice chocolate glazed donut. That’s all I want. Is that too much to ask for, Opal? Huh?”

Korra’s sympathetically patting Kuvira’s shoulder because she gets it, she really does. A good donut can do wonders. “Maybe they’ll have them tomorrow, Kuvira.”

“They better.” Kuvira lets out a sigh, a deep sigh, before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Or I’m not gonna survive this time.” 

Opal, for her part, lets out a scoff. “Why not buy a different kind of donut? The jelly filled ones are good-”

“Noooo, Opal, no.” Kuvira drops her head down onto the table, her voice muffled by her arms around her face. “The chocolate glazed ones hit different. Jelly isn’t the same.”

“Tomorrow is gonna be your day, Kuvira. You’ll get your donut.” 

“I better.” 

The cafeteria is loud around them the way it always is, as Korra scarfs down the stir fry she’d haphazardly thrown together last night. Opal’s already done eating, texting her boyfriend on her phone as she absentmindedly pats Kuvira’s elbow, and Kuvira is still pouting into her sandwich.

“I’ve got just the thing to distract you from the pain of your donut.” Korra turns towards Kuvira with a grin. “You haven’t asked me yet about my date two nights ago.” 

Sure, Korra may regret it later when Kuvira and Opal really start pressing her, but for now, it’s the perfect remedy to her woes. Kuvira looks like she’s on the same page from the way her eyes light up, the way she drops her sandwich back onto the cafeteria table. Even Opal puts her phone down.

“True that. We haven’t even found out much about that tall gorgeous tree.” Kuvira wiggles her eyebrows. “So? How was it? Was the pussy good? Do people even say that, ‘was the pussy good’? Either way, give us the nasty details.”

Korra wrinkles her nose. “You are truly so stupid. We didn’t do anything dirty on the first date.”

Kuvira immediately boos, while Opal lets out a hmph.

“We were really demure.” Korra flips her hair over her shoulder, ignoring the eyerolls that both Kuvira and Opal send her way.

“We all know that’s the farthest thing from the truth about you, Korra.” Opal lets out a snort. “So, if you two didn’t get nasty, what else did you do?”

“The planetarium was nice! She thought my space facts were cute.” Korra can’t help but grin when remembering, because the way Asami had asked her questions, had listened attentively was...sweet. Nice of her to do.

“What kinda kindergarten romance…”

“Shut up, Kuvira.” Korra reaches out to smack Kuvira’s arm as she cackles. “Then we went to a restaurant and were way too loud, and she’s easy to get along with? She laughs at my jokes, she likes my stories-”

“Wait, someone actually laughs at your jokes?”

“Shut up, Opal.” Korra pouts but can’t help but join in Kuvira and Opal’s laughter either. 

“You know we love you, we’re playing. Now, go on.”

“She kissed my cheek when I dropped her home. I would have done it first, but she was too tall for me to reach her damn face in her heels.” It’s true, Korra had been thinking about it when Asami had reached her door. Keeping up the act and all that, finding out if Asami’s cheek really was as soft as it looked. 

But Asami had beaten her to it, pressing her lips to Korra’s cheek and leaving a lipstick print that Korra hadn’t noticed until she’d gotten home.

It was kinda nice. 

“Okay, that sounds very wholesome.” Opal’s looking impressed as she makes her proclamation and Kuvira’s nodding, and a sliver of satisfaction blooms in Korra’s chest, because...they’re buying it. 

It’s working.

Maybe, just maybe, she’s smiling partly because she’s remembering the cheek kiss. But it’s not the only reason, definitely not, because the fact that they may actually be able to pull off this shit?

Exciting as hell.

****

“What even is the point of a spin class? You all are incapable of balancing on two wheels and riding a real bike?” 

Asami looks over at Korra after tying her shoes, and can’t help but be amused at the sight. Korra’s already in her workout gear, tapping her feet on the floor. Her arms are crossed, her lips in a slight pout. 

It’s Asami’s turn to pick their activity, and what better to bring Korra to than her spin class? It’s one of her favorite parts of the day, taking it out of her legs and helping her work up a sweat. 

Plus, she wants to see Korra in a spin class for the entertainment value alone. 

“Don’t knock it ‘till you try it.” Asami tugs on one of Korra’s two french braids, her smile growing when Korra lets out a slight huff. “I have a feeling you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“Boring bikes, that don’t even move…wait.” Korra pauses in her tracks and Asami nearly bumps into her, and she watches as Korra’s eyes widen at the sight of the spin studio in front of them. 

Korra’s mouth is open as she stares at the purple walls, the flashing lights that make it almost look like they’re in a club. A sight that would be believable to the eye were it not for the rows and rows of exercise bikes, with attendees suited up in athleisure, metal water bottles in hand and already starting to stretch. 

“What the hell is this place?” Korra takes a tentative step inside, her face lighting up as she takes in the room around her, shoulders already bopping to the Lizzo song playing over the speakers. 

Asami has to resist the smug grin that’s threatening to grow on her face. “Told you.” 

Truth be told, she’s a bit relieved that Korra’s open to the idea, even looking a bit excited. It’s not that she doesn’t do things with friends, or invite them places - it’s just different with Korra. Sure, they’re both playing a part, but Asami wants to make sure that Korra’s having fun at the same time, that she doesn’t regret asking her of all people to pull off her ridiculous scheme. 

Asami looks around for the last component that they need to complete the vibe of the spin class, the biggest entertainment during her workouts, who has to be somewhere nearby since the class is about to start- 

“Hello, America, no need the line up to greet me. Actually, please do, because this class is gonna be a production.” Kya, the class instructor, waltzes in, nearly tripping over her own bike at the front of the room. “You all are gonna mount those noble steeds of yours or what?”

“I like her already.” Korra grins as she tries to climb on top of her bike, one beside Asami’s in the third row. 

Asami’s about to ask Korra when the last time she’s ridden a bike is when a rap song starts blaring over the speakers, one that she hasn’t heard before but one that Korra clearly knows, from the way she’s already belting out the lyrics as they start to pedal. 

Instagram story posted by @korrawaters. Tagged: @kyascycling, @asamisato. Description: a spin studio with flashing purple lights, Asami front and center and taking a sip from her water bottle. Caption: ‘this place crazy…’

“These stairs are gonna kill me. I’m accepting my death now, you gotta go on without me because my legs are a hundred percent jello.” Korra’s gripping the railing as they climb down the stairs to leave the studio, and Asami sticks out a hand to her, one that Korra gratefully reaches for. 

“You did a great job. I think you’re the first person in that class who’s made Kya laugh that hard while teaching.” 

Korra grins. “All the Korra charm. What can I say?”

“Irresistible.” Asami snorts, wrapping an arm around Korra’s shoulders once they’ve reached the sidewalk. “You still good for making some food at my place?” 

“Are you kidding? That class has left me starving, and if I don’t get food soon I'm gonna explode, so yes. Feed me.” Korra tugs on her hand for good measure as they walk towards the subway, and the warmth that Asami can feel growing in her chest overtakes any stresses that had been previously building up in her head about the evening ahead of them. 

She really has found a good friend. 

Korra’s eyes dart all over Asami’s apartment as they enter, over the paintings on the wall and the big couch in her living room and the sleek surfaces in her kitchen. “So this is what an architect’s salary gets you, huh?”

Asami shrugs. “Didn't always. The intern years and five or so after that had me in a tiny studio apartment, too small for one person. Except that I shared it with two roommates.” 

Korra whistles as she taps her fingers on the granite countertops of her kitchen. “What changed?”

“Time and experience, mostly. Keeping up good relationships and building up a client base who will refer others after being happy with what they receive.” Asami pulls out two wine glasses from her cupboard, holding them out so Korra can see them. “Drink?”

“Yes please. White, if you got any.”

Asami pours them each a glass, setting one down in front of Korra before coming to sit beside her on the bar stools by the counter. “What about you? Tell me more.”

“‘About what?” Korra raises an eyebrow as she takes a drink. 

“Why HR? What led you there?”

Korra shrugs. “I dunno. Just floated, I guess? First job out of school and I just stayed here and moved up a little. It wasn’t really the end goal, mostly because I didn’t know what the fuck to do after college.” 

“What happened to wanting to be an astronaut?” Asami nudges Korra’s arm as she says it, and it has the intended outcome of making Korra let out a little laugh, nudge her back. 

“That got crushed after high school physics classes when I couldn’t have cared less about gravitational forces or Newton’s laws or whatever. I don’t wanna do math, even in space, no thank you. I got my sanity.”

Asami snorts. “Fair.” 

“I don’t know. I always feel like I should be doing something more, something else other than this, y’know? I just don’t know what that thing even is, and it feels weird.” Korra looks down at her wine glass, swirls it a bit. “Like I should have figured it out by now.” 

Asami’s heart tugs at seeing the rare vulnerability in Korra’s eyes, the way she’s looking up at her without the protection of her outgoing personality, of her sense of humor that she uses to mask over whatever she wants to hide. It’s interesting, this quieter side of Korra, and the fact that Korra’s letting her see it doesn’t escape Asami’s notice. 

Asami reaches a hand out, interlaces Korra’s fingers with her own. It’s nothing romantic, not really, but more comforting, grounding. She rubs her thumbs in little circles, noticing the way that Korra’s shoulders become a little less tense, her breath less stuck in her throat. “There’s no imaginary timeline, y’know. Not everything has to happen on the same day as it happens for others. There’s a reason everyone is different from each other, why we all have different lives and different jobs and are supposed to be doing different things.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Korra rests her face on her palm. “We are all on our own paths and stuff. I just wish mine was clearer.”

“Hey, Harrison Ford was a carpenter for his young adult life and didn’t have his big break until he was in his 30s. Van Gogh didn’t pick up a paint brush until his late 20s. Both of them were successful later on, but earlier? They had time to think, to grow, to figure out what they wanted.” Asami squeezes Korra’s hand. “They didn’t get stuck in things that they didn’t like, because they allowed themselves the time to decide. And if they did it? So will you. And you’ll be so great at whatever it is that you decide to go into.”

Korra gives Asami a reluctant smile, her lips pursing. “You are buttering me up all nice, I see what you are doing. It would be nice to just know though, and get started on it. Like, you going into architecture, knowing that it’s what you wanted to do. Finishing school, getting a job in the field? Already high up in your career but still so young? You got it together.” 

Asami thinks back to the late nights at the studio, the constant stressors while trying to keep her head afloat. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Korra’s eyes are curious, an eyebrow already as she looks at Asami. “What?”

“I had no idea back then that I was on the right path for myself. Still don’t, really.” 

It’s something that bugs Asami every now and then, in the back of her mind. She’s worked so hard, put in so many hours in her field to get where she is, to have a steady job where she’s doing well and is able to support herself. But is it really what she wants? What she’d strived for back in undergrad?

Asami doesn’t know. But there’s no going back in time, no changing her path. 

Korra’s looking at her with a furrowed brow, questions in her eyes, so Asami continues. “I question my past decisions all the time, thinking of different scenarios and things that could have happened if I had chosen a different major or went to a different school or picked a different career path. But after investing so much time in this one, I feel like I have to stay in it, y’know? Like it’s too late to start over in anything, but at the same time I have no idea if I’d even want to in the first place.” 

Korra whistles. “Damn. So we are both lost, huh?” 

Asami snorts, clinking her glass of wine against Korra’s before taking a sip. “You’re right about that.” 

It’s kind of nice, though. Talking to Korra about thoughts that she tries to ignore during her daily life. Seeing that Korra doesn’t have her shit together, despite the way she’s always happy and laughing and looking like a million bucks. But also the fact that Asami gets to show Korra that she doesn’t have it together, either. 

The two of them are more similar than Asami had originally thought, and it feels comforting, somehow, the fact that Korra feels like she can share things with her. The fact that Asami herself is okay with telling Korra things too, despite the fact that they’d never really spoken before a few weeks ago. 

Asami’s ready to say something sappy, tell Korra how grateful she is for her friendship or something equally as cheesy, before Korra hops off her stool, leans her elbow on her shoulder. 

“So. Are we gonna cook some food, or what?”

**** 

“I’m losing brain cells watching this. I can physically feel the cells in my brain deteriorate the longer this show is on.”

“Pfft, stop being so dramatic. Now shush, the two beekeepers are gonna break up over Google Translate again.”

Asami feels like she’s losing her mind, but for some reason, 90 Day Fiancé is a trainwreck that she can’t tear her eyes away from no matter how hard she tries. Korra is no help, shovelling popcorn into her mouth from their shared bowl on her lap with her eyes glued to the TV.

Asami grabs a handful for herself, because she’s going to need it to survive any more of this show. “Do you watch this every week?”

Korra waves a hand. “Not every week. Sometimes it goes on hiatus for a week or two, and lemme tell you, it is rough. I need my fix.”

“Okay, but why is she going to Costa Rica for part of the 90 days? She’s just gonna leave him here?” Asami can’t help herself, really, from paying attention because it’s on the screen, and there’s only so much she can do to tune it out. 

Korra, for her part, grins. “Knew you’d like this show.”

“I don’t like it-”

“And yet we're gonna watch again next week, aren’t we?” Korra’s eyebrow is cocked and Asami hates that she’s probably right.

“Maybe.”

The arrival of yet another ad break is a blessing, because at least Asami doesn’t feel obligated to focus during an Activia commercial. She just can’t get over the concept of the show, really. What the point of it all is. So much fuss, so much extra work to still end up miserable. 

“Why do you think they do it?” Asami dips her hand into the bowl, grabs another handful of popcorn when the commercials end. 

“Romance. Duh.” Korra sticks her hand into the bottom of the bowl, pulls out some M&M’s from the depths. “Nice.”

“Is it even romantic, though? Having to move to a different country and live with someone you probably don’t know very well at all, just so that you can get a green card?” It seems too much, too manufactured. Enough that Asami can’t tear her eyes away from the trainwreck on the screen. 

Korra’s unfazed. “Isn’t true love supposed to make you wanna cross oceans for partner?” 

Asami snorts. “Who said that?”

“Einstein.”

“Liar.”

“I don’t know, it’s kinda fun to watch the ones that do make it. The ones who get through everything and somehow make it to the other side. Get married for real, have babies and kids. Defy all the odds.” Korra almost looks wistful as the logo for the show pops back up on screen, before fading to yet another couple arguing. “It does happen.”

“Seems like a big chance to take, moving across the world for someone.” Asami’s not sure if she could ever do something like that, for another person. Something that’s so life changing. 

“Hey, if it pays off? Worth it.” Korra shrugs. “Now shush, I wanna watch Juliana learning about what a pre-nup is.”

The episode fades into another (because of course Korra’s found a marathon airing on TV, of course she has) as the evening hours grow in numbers and Asami’s relieved that neither of them have work tomorrow. Korra’s pulled her feet up onto the couch, the giant hoodie that she had pulled on post spin class nearly big enough to dwarf her. Asami’s cats are nestled into her side and her lap, respectively, something that makes Asami’s heart want to melt because they rarely enjoy new people, but already seem to feel comfortable with Korra. She looks like she belongs there, a fact that Asami likes more than she wants to admit. 

“So, what do you wanna do next? We’ve been on a few fake dates now. I have to admit, you are more fun than half the girls I go out with.” Korra wiggles her eyebrows. “Had no idea you were the same brand of headass as me.”

Asami gasps. “I am not-”

“You so are, Sami.” Korra snickers, leaning up to kiss Asami’s cheek when she pouts. And somehow, Asami can’t even find it in herself to be mad. “You called that guy’s shorts ‘jorts’ during the last 90 Day Fiancé episode. That’s headass.”

“They’re jean shorts-”

“And you came up with ‘jorts.’” 

“Shut up. It’s not like I made that up,” Except Asami can’t hold back a giggle, not when Korra’s already cackling too. “You’re so dumb.”

“Alright, Miss Jorts.” 

“Hey!”

Korra pulls out her phone. “Gonna change your name in my phone to that.”

“You will not-”

Asami reaches for the phone but Korra is quicker, holding it away from her. Asami sees her chance though, as Korra’s hoodie rides up when her arm stretches above her head. Korra lets out a screech when Asami tickles her, the phone falling and burying itself somewhere in the couch cushions - not that either of them notice, really. 

“Mercy, mercy! You play dirty!” Korra nearly falls off the couch as she holds her hands up, saved by Asami’s arm wrapping around her waist to catch her. 

Asami pulls Korra back up, tucks the strands of hair that have escaped from her braids behind her ears. Korra is grinning, her full focus on her, is a lot, enough to make Asami’s heart feel all warm too. Because Korra’s joy is contagious.

“Truce?”

“Absolutely truce. We already got our workout in for the day with Kya. Now we just have to rest.” Korra scoots down on the couch for good measure, resting her head on Asami’s shoulder. “You are my pillow now.” 

Not that Asami minds, really, because Korra is warm and nuzzles even more into her side when she puts an arm around her. It’s nice. Asami knows that it’s not real, that it’s not romantic and they’re not in an actual relationship - and thank god for that, because she doesn’t do them, doesn’t want one. But Korra is comfortable, and not only while leaning against her on the couch. The way her face lights up when she’s talking, the way she’s hysterical without even knowing it and manages to cheer Asami up without even trying to. 

Asami’s glad for it, and almost doesn’t want it to have to ever end. From the way Korra’s already talking about more things to do while hanging out, more things to watch together, maybe Asami doesn’t ever have to worry about that ever happening, even if their fake dating time period comes to a close in the future. 

Because Korra’s more than just an acting gig to her now, more than just a scene partner. And for some reason, the fact doesn’t scare her in the least.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for leaving the sweetest comments! enjoy this one, it’s getting spicy hehe

They had talked about it earlier this morning, about how it would be a good idea for Asami to casually walk by, meet Kuvira and Opal in the cafeteria at lunch. To further sell their fantasy and make it a little bit more believable.

It doesn’t mean that Korra’s leg isn’t bouncing like mad as they start eating lunch, though.

“I told you, Kuvira, you have to remove some of these Tinder photos. You’re shoving a whole piece of cake in this one! It’s gotta go.” Opal’s taken Kuvira’s phone hostage, ignoring the latter’s grumbles about how she can find herself a partner on her own, thank you very much.' 

Korra wants to peek over, roast some of Kuvira’s photos herself, she really does. Except that she can’t get her eyes to focus on one spot for too long, bouncing around the cafeteria looking for the familiar head of black hair because Asami is bound to walk over at any time. 

And so it’s only logical that the light touch on Korra’s shoulder makes her nearly yell, jump out of her seat, amidst Kuvira and Opal bursting into laughter. Except that their guffaws end as quickly as they start, because both of them are looking behind Korra up at-

“Didn’t mean to startle you, babe. Brought you a coffee.”

Korra nearly chokes on the bite of pad thai that’s in her mouth, turning around to see Asami looking as cool as a cucumber, as if neither of them are about to act in front of the two biggest skeptics that Korra knows. 

Asami places the coffee on the table before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Korra’s head, one that makes her let out a small squeak, a blush rising to her cheeks that must be because of the current high stakes on the table. 

Asami barely bats an eye, dropping into the empty seat beside her. Korra’s rational thinking isn’t back just yet, because she needs to say something, anything , before Opal and Kuvira even open their mouths in front of Asami, but Asami beats her to it.

“I’ve heard so much about you both. I’ve been looking forward to meeting Korra’s best friends.”

“We heard about you too, Miss Asami Sato. What do people call you? Is it Asami? Miss Sato if you’re nasty?”

Asami, to her credit, doesn’t look fazed in the least. In fact, she’s trying to hold a laugh back herself, hiding her grin behind her hand. “Asami’s just fine.”

“Well, since you here, you may as well help us with Kuvira’s Tinder profile-”

“I didn’t ask for your help, Opal-”

“-Help us in getting her to bring all the girls and boys to her yard, yeah?”

Despite the imminent threat of gaining grey hair from Kuvira and Opal’s routine lunchtime behavior, Korra discovers that she’s enjoying Asami being there. Asami keeps up with them. Korra can see the small hint of approval in both Kuvira and Opal’s eyes, in the way Opal passes over her phone to Asami so that she can add her on Instagram, and how Kuvira actually lets Asami fiddle with her dating profile. It’s almost disappointing when Asami looks down at her watch and sighs, reaching out to squeeze Korra’s hand.

“Got a meeting in ten. I have to go.”

Kuvira and Opal beat Korra to a response, twin protests leaving both of their mouths. 

“C’mon, we are having so much fun-”

“We haven’t even finished crafting my Tinder bio-”

“I swear, you all like her more than me now.” Korra snorts, looking up at Asami, who doesn’t look like she wants to move either. 

Kuvira shrugs. “You really want us to answer that?”

Asami winks at Kuvira and Opal. “I like you both more than her, too.” 

The two of them screech with laughter, Kuvira fully slapping the table, and it’s all Korra can to do keep her mouth from dropping open. Introducing Asami to Kuvira and Opal has to be the biggest mistake she’s ever made, because of course they’ve gotten along famously, enough to gang up on her. But Korra kind of loves it - not that she’ll ever admit it, or resist the chance to play up her dramatics.

She crosses her arms, letting out a huff. “The nerve-”

“Sorry, babe.” Asami stands up, pressing a kiss to Korra’s cheek before slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

Korra has to resist watching the extra sway in Asami’s hips as she walks away, trying to keep her eyes up because she’s not going to objectify her fake girlfriend. Though it’s hard, especially when Asami shoots one last look over at her before turning a corner and out of view, knowing exactly the effect that she’s having. 

Her friends are no better, Kuvira letting out a soft whistle while Opal shoots her a look.

“Bitch.”

“I know!” 

Opal puts her phone down on the counter, and that’s when Korra knows that she’s truly emphasizing her statement. “Bitch.”

“I know right.” Korra’s absolutely going to pat herself on the back for her acting skills later - not that it’s hard, trying to fake being into Asami. It’s pretty damn easy.

Kuvira grumbles, swiping on her phone. “Don’t rub it in, some of us are still stranded on Tinder.” 

“Shut up about Tinder for ten seconds, Kuvira.” Opal holds up a hand when Kuvira protests, turning back towards Korra. “Now how is she gonna make it up to you?” 

Korra shrugs, letting a smirk rise on her face. “A lady never kisses and tells.”

As if she’d have anything to tell. But still, it’s fun to make her friends think that she will.

It gets Korra thinking about it though, as the second half of the day passes. The two of them have kept the fake PDA to a minimum- but what happens when they’re in a situation where they have to kiss in front of other people? Like for a photo op, or to sell their acting even more? They can’t just go in and lock lips for the first time with an audience watching them. An audience that will be able to then tell that they’ve been faking, because real couples don’t kiss as if they’re kissing a mere acquaintance.

Well, friend.

Asami’s her friend now.

Though it doesn’t change the fact that they need to prepare, somehow, should the situation arise.

Asami lets out a snort into her menu when Korra brings it up a week or so later, and Korra has to resist the urge to pout over the restaurant table.

“I’m serious!”

“You sound like those boys in middle school who used to try to get girls to kiss them for practice.” Asami raises an eyebrow, smirk on her face.

Korra huffs. “You really think we can pull it off in front of others without practicing?”

“You can say it, you just really want to kiss me, I get it.” Asami ducks out of the way before Korra swats her menu in her direction, already anticipating the retaliation.

“You wish.” Korra sticks her tongue out at her. “But you know I’m right. We have to rehearse.”

Asami knows that she is, because they end up on her couch the next evening, facing each other. 

Korra, for her part, is trying her best not to giggle. “I feel like we’re twelve.” 

Asami raises an eyebrow. “This was your idea, you remember that, right?”

“Still! This feels like spin the bottle.” 

Korra’s never really noticed how pretty Asami’s eyes are, and how some of the layers of her hair in the front always escape from her ponytails or buns. How Asami’s softened up more and more around her as the weeks have passed, sitting in a crewneck and leggings with her face free of makeup - something Korra would never have been able to picture back when she’d first made the bet with Opal and Kuvira.

The fact that Asami’s still somehow adorable, though? Korra definitely wouldn’t have predicted that back then, either.

Asami shuffles a tiny bit closer to her, crossing her legs on the couch. Her green eyes search Korra’s, her lips pursing while she’s trying to hold in a laugh. “Should we just go for it? Do you want mood music or something?”

“Shut up.” Korra swats at her arm, moving in a little bit closer and leaning up as much as she can. “Get closer to me.” 

Closing the distance between them by going on her knees is the right idea, because Asami’s closer than Korra’s realized and she lets out a little gasp into the kiss. Asami’s lips are soft, her hands circling around her back and Korra feels like she’s boxed in, because everything around her is Asami. The smell of her shampoo, the way her hair is soft and easy for Korra to run her fingers through. The way Asami’s hand on the small of her back pulls Korra in flush up against her. The way Asami lets her tongue slightly dart out as the kiss deepens, as if she doesn’t want it to end. And if the way Korra lets her own mouth open more, feels a small moan escape? She doesn’t either. 

Korra draws in a breath when they pull back, and it makes sense that the wideness of Asami’s eyes matches her own, because damn.

She’s never had a first kiss like that.

“So.” Asami’s voice comes out higher than usual, and Korra knows she would laugh if she wasn’t feeling exactly the same way. “I think we’ll be convincing enough, don’t you?”

“I think you’re right.” Korra can’t draw her eyes away from the slight flush on Asami’s cheeks, the way Asami’s eyes keep darting back down to her lips, as if she’s thinking of kissing her again. “We’ll fool ‘em, no problem.”

They’ll be able to act, make Kuvira and Opal and everyone else believe it. Because Asami’s a great actress, that’s for sure.

Is she?

Korra almost wants to kiss her for a second time and find out. Though she’s too much of a chicken to do so, because Asami’s already pulling back, settling herself against the couch and grabbing for Korra’s television remote.

“So, another 90 Day Fiancé episode?”

**** 

_ Asami’s lips press kisses made of fire up Korra’s neck, leaving flames in their wake that feel like they’re going to burn her from the inside out. Her hand roughly tugs on Korra’s jeans, pushing them down before her fingers meet the dampness beginning to soak through the lace of Korra’s panties.  _

_ “Gonna keep these on, ‘kay?” The rasp in Asami’s voice makes Korra shiver, as does the slight nips that Asami dots by her ear.  _

_ Korra pushes her hips up, bumps them against Asami’s because she wants more, she wants Asami to take her there. “Please.” _

_ “So polite now.” Asami’s voice is a purr as her fingers trail along the outside of the lace, teasing at Korra’s folds through the fabric.  _

_ Korra can tell that Asami knows what she’s doing, that she already has an idea of how to undo her, leave her a mess on the already damp sheets. And right now? She’s not far off at all.  _

_ Asami lifts up her other hand to brush the sweaty strands of hair off of Korra’s face, and the look in Asami’s eyes is commanding, yes, but also soft. Like she’s enjoying herself, like she loves seeing Korra like this. Like she wants to do this over and over again.  _

_ But then Asami brings her face back down, trails the kisses from Korra’s neck to her collarbone and to her tits, swirling her tongue around one nipple and pinching the other between her fingers. The little whimper that leaves Korra and the slight shudder that travels down her body appear to be exactly what Asami wants, because her other hand stops the teasing along the lace, and instead roughly tugs the fabric to one side.  _

_ “You want my fingers? I wanna see you beg all prettily, baby.” _

“I-”

Korra wakes with a start, her sheets damp and her hips twitching and she’s not sure why she’s feeling so warm, really, until-

Asami’s hands. Asami’s mouth on her. The way she’d been ready to make Korra beg for it, the way Korra had been reduced to a whimpering mess with just a few words and a cocked eyebrow. 

Shit. 

She’s just had a sex dream about her sex-on-legs fake girlfriend. The one who she’d kissed for the first time last night, and only for practice in case they ever have to kiss in front of friends, for crying out loud. 

Asami Sato, secret 90 Day Fiancé lover, who, according to Korra’s subconscious, is a damn sex god. 

Korra wants to push the thoughts away, forget they’ve ever happened because shit, how is she supposed to look Asami in the eye now? Make small talk and pretend everything is fine and dandy except for the fact that now she can picture what Asami would look like with her head in between her thighs? 

Korra squeezes her legs together, feels the wetness that is pooling and she has to resist a groan, because of course she’s still turned on. Of course she’s not going to be able to stop picturing Asami fucking her practically into another dimension. 

Korra needs to get a grip. She’s not going to be having sex with Asami anytime soon, because they’re not dating, nor is Asami a one night stand that she’s going to fuck and then forget. She’s a project partner, one helping Korra fool her two best friends. One who deserves better than to be objectified by Korra’s subconscious.

It’s hard to resist, though, the feeling of her own hand traveling lower and lower, until her fingers are circling her own clit. Korra squeezes her eyes shut as tight as she possibly can, trying to push away any and all thoughts of Asami so that she can conjure an anonymous woman, one who won’t make her think of Asami and the way she’d left Korra a mess in her dream. 

Korra’s successful, at least partially. Does it stop her from accidentally letting Asami’s name slip from her lips as she comes, all shaking and trembling with her hands fisting in the sheets? 

Not exactly. 

She’s gonna need a lot of coffee to get through the morning. 

****

“Did you call this early morning meeting just to zone out the entire time?”

“Hmm?” Asami looks up at Jinora’s accusatory expression over her coffee, trying desperately to remember what she’d asked her earlier in the conversation so that she can keep it going. 

It doesn’t come to her, not when all she can think of is pulling Korra close and-

“You didn’t eat those cookies I gave you last week during breakfast, did you?” Jinora’s face turns worried. “Because those weren’t regular cookies, they were special cookies, if you know what I mean, and if I’m accidentally an accomplice in having you show up at work high as a kite-”

“I didn’t eat the edibles this morning, Jinora.” Asami rolls her eyes and even Mai lets out a laugh at that. “I’m not that stupid.” 

Though Jinora only shrugs. “I’m just checking. It’s just that you’re usually the one to keep us on track while Mai and I try and talk about more interesting things than work.”

Mai nods. “True. And today, we’ve been trying to rank the sandwiches served by the deli downstairs and you haven’t stopped us even once.” 

“I’m so glad that both of you are aware of just how distracted you get during morning meetings.” Asami snorts when Jinora and Mai high five each other. “Now focus. We need to finish the plan before the afternoon.”

“Nice try.” Jinora leans forward in her seat before taking a loud sip of her drink. “You’re still thinking about the morning sex, huh?”

“What?” Asami wrinkles her nose when Jinora and Mai high five a second time. “What are you talking about?”

“The dazed yet dreamy look in your eyes? The complete lack of attention to anything around you?” Mai giggles, actually giggles. “Someone clearly had a good time last night. And this morning.”

“I did not- hey.” Asami huffs, and she can already feel a blush rising on her face even though their words aren’t true, not in the least. 

Because she knows what - or who - is responsible for her complete lack of attention. Not that she wants to focus on the fact too much. Even though she can still smell Korra’s shampoo, hear the way she’d gasped when they’d deepened the kiss-

“Are you even listening? See?” Jinora lets out a laugh, nudging Mai’s side, the two of them looking equally entertained. “Your girl fucked you good last night, Sami.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” The soft mutter under her breath is heard by Mai and Jinora regardless, the two of them letting out whoops that make Asami want to drop her head onto her desk.

“Can’t wait to meet her and see just how whipped you are in real life. It’s going to be hilarious.” Mai snickers, and it makes Asami want to groan.

“Shut up.”

It’s a good thing that neither her or Korra are dating other people while faking a relationship, because Asami truly doesn’t know how she’d be able to kiss another person after the kiss with Korra last night. Asami’s not a big believer in cosmic entities or fate or karma or everything happening for a reason, but she can feel it. The weird way the kiss had worked, the way that Asami had never wanted it to end.

An insane concept, god forbid. 

Except that she’s still thinking about it at work a whole day later, enough for her coworkers to notice. Asami’s never the one to be hung up over someone, especially someone who she’s not actually dating. But it’s only because of the kiss being so good - it had caught her off guard at the time, that’s all. 

She’ll be better prepared for the next one. 

Asami’s eyes keep flitting to her phone screen all day, because she’s sure that the vibe between her and Korra is going to feel strange, or slightly off after their practice kiss. That their hoax will be ruined because they’re both going to start thinking about the kiss too much, about how right it had felt, but-

It had just been a kiss. Just a kiss. 

Asami doesn’t get hung up over people, and she’s not going to let herself get that way now. 

But then Korra sends her a meme over text and it makes Asami crack up at her desk when she’s supposed to be working. It feels a little bit more normal, Korra texting her silly things like she always does, as if they don’t need to talk about their kiss, because they don’t. Because this is the way that they’re supposed to be. 

Korra pops into her office at lunchtime, the same way that she’s gotten used to doing so over the past few weeks. The grin on her face turns into a frown when she sees Asami typing away at her computer. “You’re still working?” 

“Deadline at two. Gotta work through lunch today, sadly.” Asami looks up from her screen and has to hold back a laugh at the pout on Korra’s face. “Why, would you rather help me get it done and work through lunch, too?”

Korra scrunches her face, steps back from the computer. “No, thanks. I don’t know anything about architecture.”

“These are more just preliminary blueprints for-”

“Gross. Zzzz.” Korra drops one of the takeout bags beside Asami. “I’ll leave this for you in peace. Have fun, nerd.”

“You bought me lunch?” Asami’s heart swells, and she can’t keep the smile off her face because of course she’d forgotten to pack one this morning, and hasn’t had time during her lunch break so far to go to the cafeteria, meaning that she hasn’t been planning on eating. 

Though Korra’s taken care of it without even knowing any of that and she seems to know it, judging by the way she preens. “Told you I’d be a good fake girlfriend.” 

“You’ve never said anything of the sort.” Asami snorts. “And don’t think I missed the part where you called me a nerd.”

“Am I wrong, though?” 

“Which one of the two of us is more obsessed with Pokémon?” Asami counters, leaning forward on her desk, and Korra splutters. 

“No idea what you’re talking about. On that note, have fun with your boring spreadsheets.” Korra turns on her heels, but pauses at the door. “Don’t overwork yourself too hard, or you may be too tired for the next date I got planned.”

Asami raises an eyebrow. “What, are we going to another fitness class or something?”

“Nah. You’re gonna have to deal with my excitement level at a Christmas market this weekend. I’m tired for you already.” 

****

Korra’s warning is fitting, something Asami quickly realizes a few days later once they enter the gates of the Christmas market. 

“The stalls. The stalls! And there’s mulled wine, we gotta get mulled wine because I wanna get lit on Christmas spirit.” Korra’s mitten clad hand tugs Asami into the thick of the market, the lights sparking overhead illuminating the delighted look in Korra’s eyes. 

“Slow down, we gotta choose somewhere to start first.” Asami catches her breath when Korra momentarily pauses, her gaze on a stall above them. 

“Fudge? Can we get fudge?” The wide eyes paired with the slight pout on Korra’s lips is adorable, Asami has to admit. 

“Good place to start as any, I guess.”

Korra squeals before Asami’s even finished her sentence, grabbing her hand and tugging her to the fudge display. She looks over at Asami, her face morphing into a faux serious expression as they wait in line. 

“Alright, listen. This is how we strategize for fudge. We both get different flavors then split them so we can each have at least two. Got it?”

Asami bumps her shoulder lightly. “Didn’t know you were so passionate about fudge.”

Korra, for her part, is shameless. “I got my priorities straight.”

“Straight, huh?”

“You know what I mean.”

Though the market is fun, the food and drinks and stalls and slight chill outside making their breath visible in the cool air. They share a giant bag of popcorn, sip on mulled wine until they’re giggling and their cheeks are all rosy. Asami lets Korra tug on her hand, pull her around to wherever she wants to go - Asami’s having enough fun watching Korra’s excitement to everything. 

Their last stop is the market’s giant Christmas tree, one that both of them have to crane their necks up to look at. Asami can’t help the way she throws an arm around Korra, pulls her into her side. Korra leans her head on her shoulder, the wool of her beanie tickling Asami’s neck, but she doesn’t mind. Because Korra is nice and warm and comfortable, and fits into her side perfectly, somehow. 

“It’s huge.” Asami can’t keep the awe out of her voice. She’s come to the market before, with her parents as a kid and with friends and colleagues as she’s gotten older, but the massive tree that seems to go up to the sky twinkling in so many lights never fails to take her breath away. 

Korra lets out a giggle beside her. “That’s what she said.” 

Asami pulls back for a second, shooting Korra a look. “Are you twelve?”

“Maybe.” Korra’s holding back another laugh and Asami’s about to retort, maybe one up her with a joke of her own, when a woman taps her shoulder. 

“Hi, I was wondering if one of you would be able to take a picture of my husband and I in front of the tree?” The lady is barely done her sentence before Korra’s disentangling herself from Asami’s grip, reaching out to grab the woman’s phone. 

“On it.” Korra holds up the phone, throws an encouraging smile towards the couple, already in a formal prom-like pose. “Say cheddar!”

“Isn’t it cheese?” Asami can’t help but interject as Korra snaps the photos, grinning when Korra looks over and sticks her tongue out. 

“Cheese is boring.”

“You’re boring.”

“That’s a lie and you know it.” Korra snaps the final picture, handing the phone back to the woman. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, dear.” The woman pats Korra’s shoulder. “Would you like us to take one of you and your girlfriend, too?”

Korra blinks in surprise and Asami feels herself freeze too, though the woman is unfazed, waiting for their answer. 

Korra is the first one to break the silence. “Sure, why not? C’mere, babe.” 

“How do you wanna do it? Arms around each other? A prom pose?” Asami sidles up to Korra, intent on wrapping her arm around her again, but Korra sidesteps her, grinning. 

“I got a better idea. Get your face down here.” Korra steps up on her tiptoes, wraps her arms around Asami’s neck and pulls her in for another kiss. 

It’s not as startling as their first kiss, partly because Asami’s been exposed to it before, and braces for it this time. But Korra’s lips are still soft, still make Asami want to pull her closer, even after the camera flashes go off. Asami tilts Korra back slightly, dipping her during the kiss and she can hear the lady let out an aww. 

“Alright, here you go, ladies.” The woman’s voice makes the two of them break apart, and Asami still feels just as breathless, just as out of words to say as she did during their first kiss as the woman hands back the phone. “The two of you make an adorable couple.”

“Thank you.” Korra’s voice is a squeak, and Asami reaches down, grabs her hand. Squeezes it. 

Korra squeezes back, and it’s reassuring. 

“We’ll leave you two be. Enjoy your evening!” The lady and her husband are leaving with twin waves, and Asami waves back absentmindedly, more focused on looking at the pictures on the phone screen between them. 

“Now there’s the winning shot. We’re killing this.” 

**_Instagram photo by @korrawaters. Tagged: @asamisato. Description: Asami tilting Korra back in a fairytale kiss, surrounded by a giant Christmas tree and twinkling lights amidst a crowd of other market goers. Caption: tis the season._ **


	5. Chapter 5

The invitation pops up in Korra’s mailbox at the same time as everyone else’s in the office, the dings of the email notifications echoing throughout the room. 

Kuvira’s the first one in their collection of cubicles to let out a screech. “Holiday party time, bitches!”

The entire office already RSVP'd to the save-the-dates sent out by corporate weeks ago, because no one with at least half a brain misses the office holiday party. Not an event that’s considered to be one of legends, with at least two fights and four new couples emerging from the wreckage every year. Korra fondly remembers December 2016, when their CEO had been found in a utility closet with not only his secretary, but with his secretary’s assistant, too. And then there had been 2018, where Ginger and Ty Lee had showed up in the same sparkly dress and had subsequent twin banshee-screech-worthy meltdowns. The open bar is known to lead to more than expected tomfoolery, and Korra always has a suspicion that the punch gets even more spiked than everyone realizes. 

All in all? She’s excited for this year’s party. 

Opal rolls her chair over until she’s beside Korra. “So, what are you gonna wear?”

“I don’t know.” Korra shrugs. “You know I don’t choose my outfits until the night before.”

Opal raises an eyebrow. “You have a girl to impress now. You’re telling me you’re gonna show up in something subpar?”

Korra pauses. “You think she’s gonna care?” She knows that Asami will pay attention to what she’s wearing, but they’re not actually dating, which takes a bit of the pressure off-

Opal gives her a look. “You have to impress her, Korra. How else are you gonna keep her?” 

“I’m keeping her because she loves my dazzling personality.” Korra barely finishes her sentence before Kuvira joins them, sliding over in her chair and letting out a snort. 

“Dazzling? Who said that?”

“Bitch-”

Opal waves a hand in between them before Korra can get fired up. “You still need to knock her damn socks off. Make her want to drag you back home before you even get to the party.”

“Why?”

“You’re really asking why? You don’t want your girlfriend to see you and wanna rail the shit out of you because of how good you look?” 

Korra wrinkles her nose at Opal’s wording. “Crude.”

“You know I’m right. We’re going shopping after work tonight. Partially because I need to find a good dress since I’m inviting Bolin and I am not gonna look bad in front of him.” Opal grins and Korra rolls her eyes, letting out a snort. 

“I would’ve come anyway, you know.” 

Opal shrugs. “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” 

“Hey, what about? Y’all aren’t gonna ask me to come along?” Kuvira’s pouting, looking between the two of them, and Opal lets out a scoff. 

“We do everything together anyway, Kuvira. You already know the invitation includes you.” 

Korra tunes out their bickering as she turns back to her computer monitor, checking the time and mentally calculating the hours until work is over. Maybe shopping will be good. Getting a nice dress, seeing Asami’s reaction. Sure, they’re not together for real, but Korra still hasn’t forgotten the kiss - how can she? 

She remembers the way Asami had pulled her closer, deepened the kiss. How it had felt so sharp, so tangible, how she’d somehow felt so much more kissing Asami than she did even with her last ex-girlfriend. 

Even if there’s nothing between her and Asami, even if they’re just fake dating, it’s still a nice feeling that she can make Asami react that way. That she feels it too. 

And so what if Korra maybe wants to make it happen again? She’s not going to be one to stand in the way of the universe, that’s for sure.

***

_ Korra: So are we going together to the party tomorrow or what? _

_ Asami: I’d sure hope so _

_ Asami: unless you got another lady you’re trying to fake romance _

_ Korra: WHAT _

_ Korra: u know you’re the only one i wanna have as my fake gf _

_ Korra: true fake gf material _

_ Asami: wow. I’m honored, truly _

_ Asami: never have more romantic words been spoken _

_ Korra: HEY I’m romantic af and you know it _

_ Asami: that I do  _

_ Asami: haven’t forgotten the time where you bawled over that Nicholas Sparks movie _

_ Korra: THEY WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER  _

_ Asami: incredible _

***

Asami arrives at the holiday party at half past seven, the venue mostly empty save for a couple of people already taking up residence by the open bar. She doesn’t mind - she likes being early, likes being at a place with time to kill rather than having to rush to get there and feel out of control. It gives her an opportunity to catch her bearings, to acclimatize herself while sipping on some white wine to pass the time. 

Korra hasn’t told Asami what she’s wearing yet, only texting her that she should be prepared to have her ‘socks knocked off.’ Knowing Korra, Asami won’t be surprised if she shows up wearing something like one of those inflatable dinosaur costumes, just to get a reaction out of Asami and make her crack up. Either way, she’s excited to have Korra on her arm, to show her off. To confirm all the rumors swirling around the office that she’s finally dating someone. 

Even though technically, she’s not. 

Asami’s on her second glass of white when Mai slides onto the barstool beside her, giving her an appreciative once over. “What kind of foxy look is this?”

“What, a girl can’t wear a jumpsuit once in awhile?” The high neck, sleeveless crimson outfit pairs perfectly with Asami’s lipstick, and she knows that she looks damn good in it. 

“Oh, she can. You look great, albeit a bit milf-ish.” Mai presses her lips together to hold in a smile. “Like you’re gonna ask me to go for drinks after your kid’s soccer game.”

“In your dreams.” Asami rolls her eyes, giving Mai a light shove, though she can’t help but smile either. “You look good, too.”

“Yeah? Not too slutty?” Mai peeks over her own shoulder, looking at the dip of her dress. 

Asami leans back on her stool, giving Mai a once over. “I mean, it wouldn’t hurt for once to maybe wear something backless that doesn’t reach your asscrack.” 

Mai lets out a screech, reaching over to swat at Asami’s arm, and she leans out of the way just in time, grinning. “Though you do have the back for it.” 

“You’re damn right I do.” Mai pouts. She crosses her legs, and the slit in her dress inches ever so slightly higher, revealing more of her bare legs. 

Asami reaches out to pat her shoulder. “Lemme get you a drink and make you feel better.” 

“It’s an open bar, you dolt-”

“Red? White? A Bloody Mary?”

Mai huffs. “Fine. A Bloody Mary.”

“I truly know you so well, huh?” Asami winks at Mai before signalling to the bartender for more drinks. 

“We’ve known each other for years, dumbass.” Mai looks around the room before pausing, suddenly nudging Asami’s side and nearly making her spill her wine. “Look who it is.”

Maybe it’s the fact that Asami hasn’t had a sip of her wine in at least a few minutes, but she can feel her mouth run dry at who’s just walked in the door. 

Korra is a vision, the reflections from the sparkles on her fringe dress lighting up the floor around her. She flips her high ponytail over her shoulder as she looks around the room, her face breaking into a slow smile as she locks eyes with Asami.

Asami can’t help it - she winks at her, revelling in the look of surprise that takes over Korra’s face, the slight stutter in her step. But Korra gets over it quickly, sidling up to her and pressing into her side when Asami wraps an arm around her waist. 

“Don’t you look beautiful?” Asami murmurs the words soft enough that Korra hears them, shivers, but loud enough that Mai hears them too, her eyebrows raising as she takes a sip of her drink. 

“Pretty smoking yourself.” Korra’s eyes trail over Asami’s form appreciatively, and Asami doesn’t care if the attention is fake - it’s nice, feeling admired under Korra’s gaze. 

“Um, hello? Lesbians? Before the two of you start fucking at this bar?” Mai waves a hand between the two of them, but Asami keeps her arm around Korra’s waist when they turn towards her. 

“Bi, actually-”

“Either way.” Mai slips off her bar stool, sticks a hand out towards Korra. “Hi. Mai. Best friend. Quick question - how the fuck did you get Asami to actually go out with you? I’ve never seen this one actually date anyone and let me tell you, I didn’t believe that she was actually dating until seeing this scene right now in front of me.” 

Korra laughs, actually laughs, and Asami can tell she isn’t nervous meeting Mai. Because Mai’s ridiculousness is easy to warm up to, to get along with, and Asami’s secretly glad for it. 

“I have my ways. Who can resist this?” 

Asami snorts when Mai lets out a whistle, puts on a show of checking Korra out. “I mean, I can see why she was sold. Still is sold. She doesn’t shut up about you.”

“Really now?” Korra grins, turning towards Asami, and she scoffs, because okay, an exaggeration on Mai’s part. 

“I do not-”

Mai nods. “Mhm! Waxes on and on-”

“Fuck off, you two.” Asami scowls, and Korra pats her shoulder. The smile in Korra’s eyes is almost enough to make up for Asami’s lost dignity. Almost.

“Gotta tell me later on all about what exactly you like to talk about. ‘Cause that’s news to me.” Korra looks smug and Asami rolls her eyes, trails her fingers along Korra’s ribs. 

It’s enough to make Korra catch a breath, look at her while biting her lip, and it helps Asami build back her confidence. She’s still got this. 

“Anyways.” Mai sits back down on her stool, crossing her legs. “You’re HR, right? Were you one of the people who had to do that sex ed info session for the accounting department because they had an STD outbreak spread between them? Because that was fucking hilarious to hear about.”

Asami wrinkles her nose. “Ew. What?”

“They all got syphilis, god bless them.” Korra rolls her eyes. “Let me tell you something. I worked at a sex-ed center in college and didn’t think that I’d have to pull those pamphlets out again. But guess what, I did! For a bunch of employees reaching middle age who didn’t seem to know how to use condoms!” 

“Did you have to pull out a banana and everything?” Mai snickers. “Because that’s all I remember from high school.”

“You bet. And I did not end up eating that banana at lunch that day.” Korra mimes throwing up, and Asami lets out a groan. 

“You’re so ridiculous.”

“And yet you’re still tapping this.”

Mai lets out a cackle, one that makes the groups of people around them at the bar turn to look towards them. Though Mai doesn’t seem to care, instead reaching her hand out to high five Korra, who returns it without hesitation. Their twin guffaws make Asami crack up with them, despite how loud they’re being and how much of a scene they’re making. 

It makes Asami happy, the fact that Korra’s charisma is so effortless that she’s won Mai over immediately. Asami has no doubt, really, that she’ll be the same way with Jinora and every other friend of Asami’s that she’ll meet. 

Because Korra seems the type to be able to charm them all. 

“I gotta go to the bathroom. Come with me?” Korra tugs on Asami’s hand and she gets up to follow her through the crowds of people, watching as Korra’s ponytail swishes as she walks. 

Korra turns to face Asami when the crowds lessen, thinning out the farther and farther that they get from the bar. “I like your work friends. They’re really sweet.” 

“They seemed to like you just as much. That hug from Jinora is pretty standard, but I think she hugged you just a little tighter than anyone else.” Jinora indeed had been delighted by Korra, laughing at all her jokes and even taking the time to exchange Instagrams with her. 

Jinora had turned to her when Korra wasn’t looking, squeezing her arm and giving a thumbs up. A Jinora stamp of approval. Not hard to get, because Jinora’s kind and understanding and easy to win over, but it makes Asami happy nonetheless, that her friends seem to support what’s happening between her and Korra. Or at least, what they assume is happening.

“All of them seemed surprised that you’re dating someone. You really don’t do that much, huh?” Korra’s expression is curious, like she wants to press for more, like she’s been holding back and waiting for the right opportunity to ask. 

Asami understands her curiosity, she does. But she also doesn’t feel like unpacking it on the way to the bathroom. 

Not that Asami has to say anything to prolong the conversation to a further time, because Korra suddenly tenses beside her, grabbing her hand. Asami looks up and follows her line of vision, only to see that they’re being approached by a redhead with the plainest man on her arm that Asami’s ever seen. 

“Korra!” The woman’s voice is sickly sweet, and Asami has to stop herself from making a face in response. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“It’s a holiday party for the company we both work for. It isn’t that surprising.” Korra sniffs, narrowing her eyes and Asami can’t help but look at her in curiosity. 

Because, well, who’s the woman? A past friend? A scorned ex? A shitty manager? Though she definitely doesn’t look like she can be a manager, on account of looking around twelve years old. 

“Still. So nice to see you after so long. You’ve met Grant, right? He works in IT, we just got close after he had to fix the computer at my desk. Funny how those things go, huh? A total romance novel.” The redhead squeezes the guy’s hand, grinning up at him, and Asami has to press her lips together to hold in a laugh. Korra doesn’t look like she’s feeling the same way, though, from the way her eyes begin to narrow.

“You already introduced us in the cafeteria once. And then outside my cubicle. I can learn a damn name.” Korra rolls her eyes, taking a step back until she’s pressed against Asami. 

The woman pauses, as if she’s only just noticed Asami’s presence. “Who’s this? You’re not going to introduce me to…?” 

Korra huffs, grabs Asami’s hand tighter. Asami squeezes back. “This is Asami. One of the architectural project managers.”

Asami’s surprised that Korra seems to have remembered exactly what her role is. Though by the way that the woman’s eyebrows raise, it makes sense - Korra’s trying to impress her. 

“Also my girlfriend.”

The redhead’s mouth parts slightly in surprise. Grant, bless him, seems clueless towards any undertones of the conversation, giving a small wave towards Asami and Korra. 

Though Asami’s beginning to clue in a little, because the only reason the woman would react this way would be if-

“Babe, this is Ginger, an admin assistant for corporate. We dated for a bit.” Korra’s voice is blasé, nonchalant, as if trying to minimize whatever had existed between them. 

Ah. Excellent. 

It’s more entertaining, if anything, especially when Ginger seems to sputter, trying to compose herself. “I didn’t know you were already dating again.”

Korra flips her hair over her shoulder. “Yes I am.” She shuffles closer to Asami, tightening her arm around her waist as if staking her claim. 

Asami’s not sure if it’s part of her duty as a fake girlfriend, but she’s absolutely going to try and play it up with Korra. More for Ginger’s reactions than anything else. So she throws an arm over Korra’s shoulder, presses a kiss to her hair. Tries to hold in a laugh when Ginger blanches a bit. 

“Yeah she is. We have fun, don’t we babe?” Asami laces her voice with sickly sweet undertones, similar to the ones Ginger had used when first approaching them. 

“That we do.” Korra smiles up at her, leaning up to press a kiss to her lips. 

Grant looks thrilled. Ginger looks nauseous. And Asami’s never seen anything funnier in her life. 

“Anyway, we gotta get going. We were heading to the bathroom before running into you. On that note? See ya!” Korra doesn’t give Ginger a chance to respond, tugging on Asami’s hand and dragging her in the direction of the bathroom. 

“Bye!” Asami tosses the word over her shoulder and waves, letting out a snort when Grant waves back. Ginger’s mouth is still open, and Asami manages to hold in her laughter until after they close the bathroom door behind them. 

“Holy. Shit.” Asami gasps, watching as Korra collapses against the wall. “What was that?”

“I should have told you she also works here. But honestly, though? I kinda forgot.” Korra snickers. “Too distracted by thoughts of you, I guess.” 

“Shut up, you goof.” Though it’s good natured as she says it, because Korra fully moving on through fake dating someone somehow makes complete sense, for her. “But seriously. What's her deal?”

“She ditched me as soon as she got bored.” 

Asami raises an eyebrow. “And now she’s supposedly more entertained by that guy in the polo shirt?”

“She’s getting the limp dick of her dreams.” 

“Gross!”

“Tell me I’m wrong, though.” Korra grins, and honestly? Asami really can’t. 

She thinks back to Grant’s meticulously styled hair. The way his watch coordinated with his shirt. The way he seemed oblivious to any previous relationship drama between Korra and Ginger. “I dunno. Grant looks kind of like a sweet puppy. Like he has absolutely no idea what’s going on, but is still happy to be here.” 

“Maybe he’ll be good for her.” Korra muses, as she taps her fingers on the bathroom counter. “She does need someone to balance out the crazy. I definitely didn’t do that for her.”

Asami leans against the wall. “You need someone to balance out your crazy. Is that where I come in?” 

“You wish.” But Korra’s grinning too, not taking the words to heart. “Though I’m glad I got you to hang around with, instead. Now c’mon, I need another drink. Or maybe ten.”

****

“Dance with me.” Korra slurs, as she tugs on Asami’s hand as she tries to pull her up from the table, largely unsuccessful in her attempts. It makes Asami giggle. “It’s my song.”

“You said the last song was your song.” Okay, so maybe Asami’s slurring a bit too. It’s not her fault that her medications make her a complete lightweight.

Maybe it had been a bad idea for Asami to participate in the shot contest with Kuvira and Korra earlier in the night, but she’d wanted to win. And won she did, especially because now it’s been at least an hour and she hasn’t even gone to the bathroom to throw up yet.

“Pleaaaase?” The fake pout combined with the Oscar-worthy lip quiver on Korra’s face is enough for Asami to hold her hands out, and let Korra pull her up. Because there’s something about Korra that Asami’s unable to deny at most times, but especially when she’s drunk.

“One dance. Only one dance.” Asami tries to keep her voice stern though finds it difficult when Korra’s face breaks into the cutest smile, and she’s tugging Asami past all the tables and onto the dance floor. 

Asami normally finds holiday parties to be a great study of her coworkers. Everyone is just a little too smashed, a little too uninhibited in the moment to realize that they’ll be unable to look each other in the eye come Monday morning. But today she feels like she’s joining them, because Korra’s singing her heart out to the song blaring over the speakers and Asami can’t resist letting out a giggle, grabbing Korra’s hand to pull her closer, spin her around. The fringe on Korra’s dress flares out all around her, the sparkles lighting up the dance floor and the sight is almost as beautiful as the way Korra’s eyes are sparkling, too. 

Korra throws her arms around Asami’s neck, pulling Asami in close. Asami can smell her perfume, the way the scent is intoxicating - or maybe that’s just all the alcohol flowing in her system. She tugs Korra even closer until they’re flush up against each other, until their lips are inches apart just because she can. Because Korra’s lips part slightly, her eyes taking on a mischievous gleam. 

“We’re such good actors.” She has to whisper the words right by Korra’s ear to be heard over the music, and it’s clear Korra hears them, by the way she nods, looks down at Asami’s lips. 

“So good.” 

Kissing Korra is easy, something that Asami wants to keep doing over and over again. She pulls back, lets out a little laugh because the alcohol is making her hazy but then Korra giggles too before pulling her back in. 

“Extremely convincing.”

“Mhm. Now kiss me again.” 

**_Instagram story posted by @opalbeifong. Tagged: @korrawaters, @asamisato. Description: Korra and Asami making out on the dance floor, while Asami’s hand is definitely grabbing Korra’s butt. Caption: ‘Now THAT’s classy’_ **

****

Asami’s glad that she’s sleeping over at Korra’s, that she had already given her an overnight bag to take home earlier in the day. Because the thought of going to her own apartment all the way up in midtown feels too far, too difficult to get to on her own. At least now she’s let Korra take the lead and take them both to her apartment, without having to worry too much about where they are. 

Korra had leaned against Asami the entire Uber ride home, pressing little kisses to her neck, to her shoulder - light enough to feel barely there. Asami had turned towards her, nuzzled her face in her hair and she’s still thinking about the little content noise that Korra had let out in response. 

Korra tugs her into the elevator once they reach her apartment building, backing her up against the mirrored wall. Her makeup is smudged around her eyes and her ponytail has several strands escaping from it but she looks happy, very happy. 

“Hi.” Korra puts her hands on the wall on either side of Asami. 

“Hi to you, too.” Asami smiles, reaching up to boop Korra’s nose, a smile that grows when Korra’s expression turns into a scowl. “Aww, don’t pout. Let me kiss it better.”

Korra grins again at that, reaching her arms around Asami’s neck before-

“Wait. We aren’t in front of anyone anymore. We don’t have to act.”

“True.” Asami pauses, because Korra’s not wrong - they don’t have to pretend to be dating, they don’t have to fool anyone when they’re on their own. 

It’s a strange feeling. 

“One more kiss, though.” And just like that, giggly Korra is back, reaching up to press a kiss to her lips and Asami almost wants to hold her to keep her in place because she fits there so perfectly. 

Korra only pulls back when the elevator dings and the doors open to her floor. She takes a step back, and then another, before interlacing her fingers together. “C’mon. Let me show you my place.”


	6. Chapter 6

Korra can’t help but feel a little self conscious letting Asami into her apartment as they start to sober up, watching as she takes a look around. They’ve only hung out at Asami’s place so far, a place that is far bigger and more spacious than Korra’s and is also not shared with a roommate, and feels overall more impressive. Korra has Eska for a roommate, who’s just a little too noisy when she has her boyfriend over and sings way too loud in the shower. Though the apartment is in a great location, at least, which is one of the reasons why Korra hasn’t started looking for other places just yet. That, and the fact that her building is rent-controlled. She can put up with Eska’s terrible singing for a little while longer. Except Eska doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight tonight, a fact that Korra is grateful for, because it means that they don’t have to worry about disturbing her. 

“Naga!” 

Asami lets out a squeal of delight when Naga comes bounding out of Korra’s room, bending down so that she can properly pet her. Korra has to hold in an aw - Asami hasn’t met her dog before tonight, only seen her in the various pictures that Korra likes to pull out. Despite that, it’s clear Asami is an animal person, along with someone that Naga is beginning to like already. 

Her dog is a good judge of character, one she trusts - any ex girlfriends that Naga hasn’t liked always turned out to be shitty. But she’s a fan of Asami, from the way she’s trying to climb onto her lap, licking her face. Asami, for her part, is grinning ear to ear, cooing as she pets her. It’s a contrast from her sleek jumpsuit, her bold makeup, her long waves tosses over her shoulder. Korra’s never seen her more beautiful. 

“C’mon.” Korra taps Asami’s shoulder, gestures towards her room. “Let’s get this makeup off, get changed. This dress is too damn tight. Naga’s gonna follow us.”

Asami traces her fingers along the frames up on the walls once they enter Korra’s room. There’s pictures of her and Opal and Kuvira, some of her with her mom, others from past travels and even some from her college days.

Asami pauses at one of a preteen Korra holding Naga as a puppy. “Jesus, how long have you had her?”

“Since she was a baby. She’s really old now. Has doggy arthritis and everything.”

“Poor baby.” Asami pats the top of Naga’s head for good measure. She pulls her pajamas out of her overnight bag, pauses as Korra grabs some of her own from her dresser. “Can I change in here? Or would you rather I change in the bathroom? I don’t mind either way, but…”

Oh. Right. 

They’re not actually together, and they haven’t exactly reached that couple level of comfort. But then again, Korra changes in front of Kuvira and Opal all the time without giving it a second thought, when they’re about to go out for the night. This really isn’t any different from that. 

So, Korra just shrugs. “However you feel more comfortable. I don’t mind either way. I know you already stare at my ass even when it’s clothed.” 

Asami gasps. “Hey! I do not-”

Korra ducks out of the way before Asami throws her rolled up pajamas at her, letting out a snicker. But it helps to break the slight tension that had started to build up, makes things more comfortable. 

Korra tosses Asami’s pajamas back at her. “Change here. I promise not to peek at your boobs.” 

“Too late. I know you already do.”

****

They camp out on the couch once they’ve changed and are bare faced, piling blankets from Korra’s bed on top of themselves. It’s late but Korra’s not tired, not really. Maybe it’s the adrenaline from dancing all night, the fact that neither of them are that tipsy anymore. Korra pulls the blankets up to her chin, looks up at Asami. She’s content and doesn’t hesitate in smiling back down at Korra, a soft smile that reaches her eyes and one that Korra’s not sure she would have seen months ago, before they started all of this. 

“Tonight was fun.” 

“Yeah.” Korra grins, leaning her head back against the couch. “I’m glad we did that together.”

“Me too.” Asami nods, pulling the covers up over herself, too. “I think my favorite part had to be Ginger, though. Never seen anyone look that shocked in their lives.”

Korra lets out a snicker. “Honestly, I feel kinda bad now. Our breakup wasn’t even that bad, it was mutual.” 

“Yeah?” Asami shifts so that she’s resting on her side, facing Korra. 

“Yeah.” Korra shrugs. “You can just tell when things aren’t gonna work, y’know? We didn’t get along the best.”

“What was the final straw?”

“Probably something stupid. We were bickering way too much. It just didn’t feel the way it should.” 

Korra thinks back to it - the way every little thing that Ginger would do had started to annoy her, the same things that at the start of their relationship had been nothing but endearing. How she hadn’t wanted to stay in something that wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. 

Asami, though, looks lost. “What didn’t feel the way it should?” 

“Y’know. Relationships. It wasn’t... it.” Korra pulls her feet up onto the couch, snuggles herself in some more as she tries to come up with the words to explain. “I don’t want something that doesn’t feel the way happy couples say that it does. All those butterflies, all the love that’s supposed to fill up your heart and make you wanna burst.”

Sue her, she wants it. She wants that fairytale romance. She wants her person, someone who makes her heart flip flop no matter how long they’re together for.

Asami, though, doesn’t look convinced. “I think you’re watching too many rom coms. Does that even happen?”

Korra scoffs, because of course it does. “Uh, yeah. If you play your cards right, if you find the right person.”

“Those are high expectations to put on a potential partner.” Asami raises an eyebrow. “What if someone doesn’t meet that?”

“Then I won’t stay with them.” Korra shrugs. “Simple as that.” 

Korra’s not going to waste her time if it doesn’t feel right because there’s no point, not if it won’t lead to what she ultimately wants. It’s not fair to partners, either, if she knows it’s not gonna work. 

“Damn, you’re harsh.” Asami lets out a little laugh. “Hope you won’t kick my butt to the curb like that.”

“You’re a different case, Sami. I’m keeping you around for a little while longer.” Korra leans her head on Asami’s shoulder to illustrate her point, snuggles in closer when Asami wraps an arm around her. 

Life really would be easier if she could just date Asami. If their relationship could be real. Because Asami is comfortable, Asami gets her already. Korra doesn’t have to worry about appearing a certain way to Asami because their relationship is fake, and it takes a bit of the pressure off. A catch 22, she supposes. The benefits of faking a relationship that they’ll never be able to actually have in the first place. 

Korra’s sure that things wouldn’t go as smoothly if her and Asami were dating for real. That there would be too much pressure, that they’d both find things to get irritated over. That dating wouldn’t even happen in the first place, because they’re from completely different departments and out of each other’s circles. Or at least, were out of each other’s circles. Not anymore. 

Though it’s safe to say that she’d never even have Asami’s friendship if it weren’t for this fake dating business. And that, in itself, is something she’s grateful to have now. 

“What about you? You’re chronically single like I am.” Korra shifts a little so that she can look up at Asami. “What’s your reason?” 

Asami shrugs, fiddling a bit with the hem of her sweater. “I dunno.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“I just…” 

Asami pauses, looking down at Korra, and Korra can see the indecision in her eyes, as if she’s deciding to tell her. She reaches out, squeezes Asami’s arm to show that she’s listening, but also because she really wants to know. 

“I just don’t see the point. Like, happily ever after isn’t a thing. It doesn’t work out. People in a relationship are either going to break up or get married and become unhappy and hate their lives for it. It’s always miserable.” Asami lets out a breath, runs a hand through her hair. 

Korra has to fight to keep her face from betraying any emotion, because it’s a different way of thinking from how she sees the world herself. Does Asami really think that relationships always end up miserable? 

“Don’t look at me like that.” Asami mutters, and Korra flashes a sheepish smile, because she’s clearly not as good as hiding her emotions as she thinks. 

“I’m not. Wanna talk about it, though? I’m here to listen.” 

Asami looks like she absolutely does not want to talk about it, though takes a deep breath nonetheless. “I dunno. My parents were the type to stay together...even when they shouldn’t have. All about keeping up appearances, y’know? Because they couldn’t get divorced, no way, because what would people even say at church and how would they explain it to me?” She lets out a bitter laugh. “It would have been better, though. Not having the constant fighting and being stuck in the middle and us kids feeling like we had to be the grownups.” 

Korra reaches out, squeezes Asami’s hand. She doesn’t push, waits for Asami to continue. She can tell there’s more by the way that Asami fiddles with the blanket. 

“They finally separated once I was an adult, already moved out and living my own live. And it was like a switch flipped for my mom. She became so much happier, she started doing the things that she wanted to do that my father wouldn’t let her. She could finally live for herself. She stopped thinking so narrowly, too, only came around to accepting me once my dad was gone and they stopped feeding off of each other.” 

Asami pulls out her phone, flips through her camera roll. The picture Asami stops at is of her and her mom, who is at least two heads shorter but is hugging her with both arms, the love clear in her face. 

“You two look real close.” Korra looks at the woman’s hair, the way it’s the same as Asami’s. “I love it.”

Asami has a small smile playing on her face. “We are now. But only after she started to become her own person again, not tied down to anyone.”

“What about friends? Other people you know in relationships? Aren’t they a little bit more happy than your parents were?” Because parents aren’t the only people that act as relationship models. 

Asami, though, shrugs. “Most of them have found long term partners by now, settling into domesticity and all that. But it still feels so convoluted, like they’re always complaining and always have a bone to pick about their boyfriend or girlfriend or fiancé or whomever, because there’s always trouble in paradise. Always. It’s never paradise. Why not just be by yourself and do things the way you want, without anyone else ruining it?”

Korra can kinda see the point. Asami’s fiercely independent, living on her own and following her own rules and feeling comfortable with it. Throwing someone else into the mix means that Asami would have to compromise - something that Korra is willing to do in relationships, but that Asami clearly isn’t. 

At least Asami knows it from the get go, and is saving potential girlfriends from heartbreak by never putting herself out there in the first place. 

Korra can’t help but think that it’s a little sad, though. “You focus only on the downsides of relationships, the parts that actually require work. But there’s positive things, things that make you happy and make you feel so comfortable. Things that you can get from someone else that you don’t get from being alone.”

Asami raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Like coming home to someone who’s cooking dinner and joining in with them, catching up on your day. Or snuggling into someone’s side before falling asleep, the way you did the night before and the night before that, too, because their presence is comforting and makes the bed so much warmer.” Korra can’t help the wistful tone in her voice. It’s what she misses, about being in a relationship. The comfort. The closeness. She wants it again. 

“I got my cats for cuddling.” But even Asami’s a little hesitant as she says it, and makes a face when Korra cracks up. “Stop laughing! I’m not that pathetic, I swear.”

“I’m not saying that.” Korra snuggles up against Asami a little bit more. “I’m just saying your priorities are different. And that’s fine.”

Asami’s hold around her tightens, her free hand drawing patterns on Korra’s shoulder. Korra looks up at her, at the set of her jaw and the way her eyes are so certain in their ways of thinking. “That being said? I have a feeling that eventually someone’s gonna come sweep you off your feet and end that cat lady nonsense.”

Korra can almost picture Asami’s panic at falling head over heels for somebody, someone who makes her question her entire way of thinking. She kind of wants to be there with her phone out to film the ridiculousness. 

Asami snorts. “Please. That’ll never happen. Though I’m gonna have fun watching you have your Notebook fantasy with some chick, when you finally find the one.” 

Korra huffs. “First of all, how’d you know The Notebook is my guilty pleasure? Second of all, I’m gonna find her, I’m telling you. And I’ll know when she’s the right one because she’ll just fit.” 

Asami reaches out to ruffle her hair. “What, like a puzzle piece or something?”

“Something like that.” 

For now, though, having Asami around is a great substitute. Low pressure and expectations, but someone who Korra can spend time with, someone who enjoys her company, too. Someone who’s willing to open up to her and talk about things and overall? It’s nice. Korra likes it. 

She’ll take it until she gets her Notebook fantasy. 

****

Asami’s morning alarm is akin to a nuclear reactor warning signal. 

“The fuck?” 

Korra had been having a great dream about becoming the captain of a cruise ship, spinning the giant steering wheel and all, before being rudely interrupted by the incessant beeping. She opens her eyes blearily, reaching a hand out towards the coffee table by the couch to snooze on Asami’s phone. The movement proves difficult, though, because a pair of arms around her waist and a face nuzzling into her neck keep her from being able to reach it. 

“Asami?”

“Five more minutes, g’night.” And just like that, Asami is back to snoring like a moose, tightening her grip around Korra’s waist in the process. 

Korra has to hold in a laugh. Who knew that Asami’s a heavier sleeper than an elephant? She tries to shuffle in Asami’s hold, running her fingers through Asami’s hair when she lets out little mumbles of protest. She swipes for the phone and catches it before it falls off the coffee table, turning off the alarm. 

The time on the screen reads 6:30 am, and Korra groans. Jesus. 

They could both use a little bit more sleep, considering that they’d stayed up until 2:00 am just talking and talking and talking. Korra feels like she never runs out of things to tell Asami, because Asami always listens, never judges her. Asks her questions and makes her think even more. 

Korra loves listening to Asami, too, watching the way she’s opening up more and more, so different from the way Asami normally presents herself, because she trusts her. Korra doesn’t want to take the feeling for granted, because she knows that Asami isn’t like this with everyone, even her friends whom she’s known forever. It’s something Korra’s glad to experience, glad to listen to so that she can know Asami even better. 

But it does mean that sleep is tugging her back down, pulling her back towards more dreams. Korra, for one, is ready to go back to dreamland. And so she puts the phone down on the coffee table again, shuffles in Asami’s grip until she’s lying down and snuggled up, and lets her brain run away back to sleep. 

The clock on the wall reads 9:00 am when Korra wakes up a second time. She finds that she’s not as restricted anymore, and so she wiggles her arms and twists around to face Asami, who’s sitting crossed legged on the couch with a sheepish look on her face. 

“Hey, sleepyhead. Someone’s up and not snoring anymore.” Korra grins when she sees Asami’s bedhead, the way her t-shirt is falling off of one of her shoulders. “You’re like the world’s comfiest Snuggie when you sleep, y’know that?” 

“Sorry. I like burrowing when I sleep, apparently.” Asami’s cheeks are pink as she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, pulling her legs in closer towards her. 

“I’m not complaining. It honestly was really cute.” Korra’s smile grows when Asami blushes even more. “Is that how you sleep with your cats at home?” 

“Misty, yes. Cinnamon sometimes, because he’s moody. He likes the edge of the bed more.” 

The way that Asami’s face slowly begins to light up as she talks about her cats makes Korra want to melt, because it’s so fucking cute. The softer, more rumpled sides of Asami are ones that Korra’s starting to see more and more the longer that she knows her, and she hopes that it never changes. Because sure, while at work, Asami looks like a corporate dreamboat - all pantsuits and clacking heels and meticulously styled hair. But this Asami - the one with a loose topknot, the one who’s still rubbing sleep from her eyes with a soft smile on her face? She’s Korra’s new favorite. 

“Speaking of the cats, I gotta go home, check up on them eventually. I can’t leave them for more than a night.” Asami’s voice is laced with regret, as if she doesn’t want to leave, and Korra notes that she doesn’t make any motions to get up. 

It makes Korra want to melt even more. She gets it, though, because she’s the same way with Naga. It’s another reason she doesn’t mind Eska as a roommate - she‘s always willing to take care of her, too.

She nudges Asami. “Go check on your babies. They’re probably beside themselves that they haven’t seen you.” 

“Y’know, I- I haven’t slept over, like actually slept over at someone else’s place in ages. It really has been awhile.” Asami’s cheeks are pink as she makes the admission. 

Korra can feel her own mouth open, because it’s not what she’s expected at all. “What, no one night stands for you?”

“Nah, I’ll usually just have people come to my place.” Asami shrugs, and ah. Makes more sense. Of course Asami is the type to keep an eye on her cats while getting a good lay at the same time. 

“Oh, so you’re a homebody, huh?” Honestly, Korra would probably be the same way if she had a place like Asami’s to come home to. She wouldn’t want to ever leave, either. 

Asami rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless. “I like your place, though. Haven’t had a sleep that comfortable in awhile.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I was your personal teddy bear.” Korra can feel herself flushing, though she’d liked it last night, and definitely had slept as well as Asami. 

“Didn’t see you complaining about it.” 

“Who’s complaining? I loved it.” Korra’s not gonna be one to lie to save any pride, not when she can have more nights snuggling with a human blanket. “This is what cavemen used to do, to keep warm. Sleeping in packs.”

“Oh, so we’re cavemen now?” 

“If we snuggle hard enough.” 

Korra feels an arm sneak around her waist again, lets out a little shriek when Asami pulls her back down to lie on the couch. “You’re ridiculous.”

Asami’s hair is spread on the pillow around her like a halo, as if she’s Snow White waiting for her sweet prince. Or princess. Korra reaches out, gently tugs on a lock, and goddamn. Because Asami’s hair is of course as soft as it looks. 

“And yet, you’re the one KO-ing me onto the couch for more snuggles.” Not that Korra’s ever going to protest, not when Asami is burying her face into Korra’s neck. 

“Shh, later. First, time for another nap before I leave.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for all the lovely comments x
> 
> i hope you all had a great weekend, here’s chapter 7 :)

“Here.” Opal slams the burrito bowl down in front of Korra, and she can’t help but let out a delighted squeak. 

“God, I could get used to not having to pack my lunch.”

“Don’t get too used to it.” Opal snorts as she mixes up her own bowl. “It’s only for a month, as the bet specified.” 

“Hey, I don’t care.” Korra’s voice is muffled as she tries to talk with a spoonful of the sweet, sweet rice, salsa, beans, chicken and vegetables in her mouth, but it’s hard. “I’m gonna enjoy it.”

“Good, cause you earned it. Top ten things in my life that I didn’t need to see - you and Asami practically fucking on the dance floor.” Opal makes a face, and Korra grins right back at her while Kuvira snickers. 

“You're just jealous you don’t have a beautiful girl on your arm.” Part of Korra still can’t believe it, really. That Asami’s willing to do this with her. Not that she’s complaining in the least. 

“What do you want for tomorrow’s lunch?”

Korra has to stop herself from practically rubbing her hands together with glee. “I did not realize how great having my food brought to me would be. Pizza? Poutine? Give me that unhealthy shit.”

Kuvira lets out a whistle. “Damn Korra, you aren’t gonna try to look good for your girl?” 

“It’s called happy relationship weight. I’m gonna get it, cause I’m happy. And in a relationship, and she thinks I look good anyway.” As if Korra actually is in one. But hey, why not? She’s allowed to enjoy poutine. 

“I’m gonna go find her. Share some of this burrito bowl, ‘cause it’s technically her victory, too. Not that she knows about the bet.” Korra stands up, packing the burrito bowl up once more. It’s a bold faced lie, because Asami does know, though Kuvira and Opal don’t need to know that. 

****

Asami’s on the phone in her office when Korra pops by, the fingers of one of her hands pressing against her temple. She looks up, gives a small smile before turning back to the papers on her desk and ripping the person on the other end of the line a new one. 

“No, we can’t use the support beams from the other manufacturer. I don’t care if it’s going to lower costs - it’s not going to matter if the structures collapse in five years because of faulty material and we’re the ones who get sued. So, save it.” 

Korra plops down in the seat across from Asami’s desk as quietly as she can, her eyes transfixed on Asami. It’s kinda hot - Asami yelling at someone on the other end of the line while completely maintaining composure. Not that Korra would ever admit it to her. 

“You need to liaise with the first company again, because they’re the ones that have been working well this whole time. I need the estimate from them by tomorrow.” With that, Asami slams the phone down, letting out a sigh. She shoots a small smile towards Korra. “Hey.” 

Korra holds up the bowl. “Brought you some lunch, ‘cause I know your overworked self isn’t eating.”

“I had a protein bar-”

“Rabbit food doesn’t count.” Korra pulls out the extra set of cutlery, lays it out for Asami. She’s already had enough of the bowl, and Asami looks tired enough that she needs as much as she can get. 

Asami raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t rabbit food supposed to be what people call vegetables?” 

“You’re telling me any sane human is gonna eat a protein bar for sustenance?” Korra can’t even picture having them on the regular, so tasteless and quite unlike the chewy bars of her childhood. 

“Are you calling me nuts?” Asami’s finally smiling, and it makes Korra’s heart grow when she sees it. She hates seeing how tired Asami’s job makes her. 

“Remember, you took us to a spin class for a date.” Of course, Korra had enjoyed the shit out of it, but she’s not gonna mention that to Asami. 

“I distinctly remember you having a great time.” 

“Maybe.”

“Did you eat half of this already?” Asami holds back a laugh when she takes her first spoonful, looking down at the already picked-over bowl.

“Hey, I was hungry.” Korra shrugs. “Plus, this is the start of the free food Opal is giving me for the bet. Figured I’d share it with my partner in crime.” 

“Well, that was very sweet of you.” Asami’s voice is muffled by her bite, and the contrast is adorable from her blazer and the smell of her expensive perfume. 

Asami’s an enigma, a person with so many facets that Korra is relishing in the chance to discover. The fact that Asami’s willing to open up to her more and more is Korra’s favorite part of the bet, mostly because she’s an open book herself. Because what people see with her is what they get. 

“Gotta make sure you don’t waste away on me while yelling at your minions.” Korra snickers when Asami makes a face at her. 

“They’re not minions. Just people who should know how to do their jobs.” Asami sighs, gathering the papers on her desk and pushing them to the side. “Don’t go into management. The title isn’t worth it.”

“Can you imagine me trying to get people to get anything done? It would be a whole lotta yelling.” Korra tries to picture herself at a desk like Asami’s, having to spearhead projects and be responsible for them. At least she’d get to wear a power suit. 

“You’d be good at it, though. You have charisma, the kind that most people don’t and the kind that can’t be bought.” Asami takes another bite of the bowl. “Dang, this is good.”

Korra raises a skeptical brow. “What do you mean, charisma?” She’s just her natural dumbass self, which pays off sometimes. 

“I mean, you convinced me to fake date you thirty or so seconds after introducing yourself. I’d say that’s pretty impressive.”

Korra snickers as she leans back in her seat, resisting the urge to lift her feet up onto the chair. “True.” 

It’s funny to think back to that day months ago, when Korra had barged into Asami’s office, convinced she’d be able to get her to agree with no evidence to back her up aside from sheer dumb confidence. Though it had worked by some miracle, something that still surprises Korra every now and then - and she’s sure that it’s the same for Asami, too. 

Asami lets out a contented sigh when she finishes the bowl, pushing it away from her on the desk. “So, are you going to share all of your lunches with me from now on?” 

Korra doesn’t miss a beat. “Why, Miss Sato, are you asking me to lunch for the next twenty nine days?”

Asami rolls her eyes, but grins nonetheless. “Only if the food is good.”

“You can bet on that.” 

****

Asami really, really doesn’t want to go out. 

It’s a Friday, she’s had a long week. Really, all she wants to do is curl up on the couch with her cats. 

But Mai’s birthday only comes once a year, and she’s a good friend, and so she has to choose a dress from her closet even though pajamas sound like an infinitely comfier option right now. 

The buzzing from her phone on her bed distracts her from her closet dilemma, and so she hangs the dresses in her arms back up in favour of checking her texts. 

**Korra: Eska is singing along to the radio**

**Korra: AND NALA IS DUETING WITH HER**

**Korra : we r about to get complaints from the neighbors at any moment but this shit is hilarious**

**Asami: Omg. Send me a video**

The resulting video from Korra makes Asami crack up, because Nala’s spinning around and howling in the same key as Eska is singing. The best part of the video though, is the shaky quality of it, because Korra seems to be giggling too hard while filming to hold the camera straight. 

**Asami: These two need Grammys**

**Korra: RIGHT! THATS WHAT IM SAYING**

**Korra: I wanna join in but I’m afraid of ruining it**

**Korra: anyways how’s your evening going, cutie?**

**Asami: Trying to choose an outfit. Mai’s birthday and she wants to go clubbing, as if we’re not too old.**

**Korra: speak for yourself, grandma, some of us are still young**

**Korra: that being said, you’re not too old for clubbing at all**

**Korra: show me some of those outfits**

**Asami: Like, take pictures of them?**

**Korra: yeah**

**Korra: better yet, facetime me**

It seems like as good of an option as any. Maybe Korra can help her decide. 

Korra picks up the call on the first ring, Nala’s singing reverberating loud and clear in the background. “Hold up, let me go to my room and close the door. These opera singers are too loud.” 

Asami watches as Korra falls back onto her bed, her hair fanning out all around her. “There. Much more comfy. Now, show me some outfit options.”

“Let me prop my phone up on my dresser, hold on.” Asami leans it carefully so that she can get a clear, hands free shot of herself, and gives a little wave to the camera. 

Korra giggles on the other end of the line. “Hi to you too, you dork.”

“Okay, help me decide, I’m stuck. Mostly ‘cause I don’t wanna go.” Asami pulls out a couple dresses and lays them on her bed. “I guess I’ll just hold them up one at a time, or something?”

“Nuh uh. You gotta try them on.” Korra snuggles further into her pillows on screen, and it makes Asami raise an eyebrow. 

“Really?”

“Mhmm.”

“Fine.” Maybe it’ll be fun, help Asami decide a little better. 

She pulls out a blazer dress, steps out of the frame to try it on. When she comes back, Korra is nodding appreciatively. 

“Okay, I could get into this. Suits you.” 

“Yeah?” Asami faces the screen, turns a little so she can see her back. “I dunno if I wanna wear long sleeves tonight, though.” 

“Clubs do get warm.” Korra shrugs. “What other options you got?”

“How about this?” Asami steps back in front of the screen after shimmying into her knee length, floral form fitting dress, one which she doesn’t pull out often because of how long it takes to take off when she has to pee. But it feels like a good option. 

“Woah.” Asami’s almost not sure if she hears the words or not, but Korra’s eyes are wide as she shuffles closer to the screen, and Asami has to bite back a smirk. 

“Yeah?” Asami puts her hands on her waist, turns slightly so that Korra can see what it looks like from the back. She knows what she’s doing. 

It works, from the way Korra gulps. 

Asami knows that the two of them have chemistry. She hasn’t forgotten the holiday party, hasn’t forgotten the way it felt to have Korra gasping into her mouth. The way Korra had pulled her closer, the way Asami hadn’t stopped wanting to kiss her, either. 

Well. They’re not actually together. But it’s nice to know she has chemistry with her fake girlfriend, at least. Sells the fantasy. 

Because that’s what this is about - being believable. 

That’s it. 

Right?

****

The club is a lot more boring to Asami when she doesn’t feel like dancing with anyone. 

It’s too sweaty, that’s why. The club feels like it’s a million degrees, and adding dancing to the mix will only make it worse. Heck, Asami’s sitting at the bar in front of a fan that is directly blowing cool air at her, and she’s still sweating like crazy. 

That’s why she doesn’t want to dance. 

All of Asami’s friends are on the dance floor with their respective partners. Asami can’t help but feel...bored. Why dance anyway, when it’s too warm and sweaty and crowded? Why talk up a girl when-

When she has Korra? 

Technically, Asami doesn’t have Korra. They’re not dating. She has to remember that. 

But they did sign a contract together, saying that they won’t mess around with others while doing this. Yes, that’s why Asami is staying away from chatting up nearby girls. Because she has a commitment to keep. Not that she really wants to talk to other girls in the first place. But her gin and tonic is nearly done and she needs another if she’s going to be at this bar for any longer, so she signals to the bartender and opens up her phone while she waits. 

**Asami: Help, the club is boring**

**Asami: I’m wasting away at the bar**

**Korra: omg**

**Korra: go dance, you’re at a club**

**Asami: I don’t wanna**

**Asami: Stinky guys**

**Korra: stinky, huh?**

**Asami: You need to spray your perfume on them. You smell so much better**

**Korra: weird compliment, but I’ll take it**

**Korra: we should go out dancing. I’d give you such a better time**

**Asami: Would you, now?**

**Korra: you know it, Sami**

**Korra: let's do that for another date**

Asami is reminded of the holiday party, of how they’d danced pressed up against one another and how it was fucking hot. The chance to do something like that again with Korra? She’ll take it. 

**Asami: You wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off of me**

**Korra: you say that as if you’d be able to keep yours off of me**

**Korra: I know how much you love grabbing my ass**

**Korra: not that I’m complaining about it**

Asami smirks at her phone screen. She remembers how Korra had keened into her touch, spurred her on to keep going with little gasps into the crook of her neck. Dating or not dating, Asami loves how easy Korra has been to take apart. She wants to do it again. 

**Asami: Interesting. Noted.**

It’s funny. When she and Korra had signed their list, they had agreed on light PDA only. But there’s a part of Asami that wants more more more, that wants Korra on her arm and wants everyone to know it. That Korra’s hers, that she’s the one who gets to take Korra home every night. 

Asami almost wishes that those things were actually true.

****

“C’mon, Mai. There you go, come on out of the Uber. Small steps, don’t slip on the ice.” Asami wraps one of her arms around Mai’s waist, holds her up as they head to Mai’s apartment. 

“Ugh. It’s too cold.” Mai leans her head on Asami’s shoulder, and Asami reaches out to pat her hair. 

“Almost inside. You got your keys?”

Mai fiddles in her pockets for a good thirty seconds before pulling them out, holding them towards Asami. “Please?”

“I got you.” 

Asami is usually the supportive friend in situations like these, helping them get home in one piece after they’ve had too much to drink. 

“I don’t feel so well. That car ride was fast.” Mai rubs at her eyes as Asami tries to get her coat off, pushing it off her shoulders and hanging it on the coat rack. 

“Bathroom first, then.” 

Mai sighs, resting her head against the lid of the toilet after sitting down on the ground. The scene feels reminiscent of Asami’s undergraduate days, when she’d partied too much and absolutely did some damage to her poor liver. She pulls Mai’s hair back, has to keep her nose from wrinkling when Mai lets out a retch. 

“Thanks, Asami.” Mai sighs when she lifts her head up, only to turn back towards the toilet to throw up again. 

Asami’s definitely been there before. 

“No worries. It’ll feel better when it’s out of your system, anyway.” Asami rubs her back, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible because she knows Mai’s probably got a pounding headache, too. “Now, tell me. What made you drink so much today and end up crying by yourself on your birthday?” 

“It doesn’t matter.” Mai mumbles the words, looking down, and Asami puts a hand on her shoulder, gives her a little squeeze. 

“Course it does. You can talk to me.”

Mai finally, finally looks at her, and Asami can see the dimmed sparkle in her eyes, the sadness along her features. No, not sadness - more defeat. 

“Am I making a mistake, Asami? Marrying Zuko?” 

Booke pulls back in surprise. “What? What do you mean?”

Asami has multiple friends that are in long term relationships and Mai’s, by far, always has looked the steadiest. The most wholesome. Mai never shuts up about her fiancé, telling Asami all the time about the picnics he takes her on or the gifts he gets her or how they’re absolutely soulmates. Mai’s always looked happy, truly happy with her man, something that Asami has loved to see. And, up until this moment, Asami has believed that Mai’s been living exactly how she’s always dreamed of. 

But what if she hasn’t?

“It’s just-it’s good. But it’s also just good, y’know? He brings me flowers and always opens doors for me and snuggles me at night but…” Mai lifts her head, looks at Asami, and her face is more lost than Asami has ever seen it. “I don’t feel anything else with him. Like, it’s happy, it’s good, he’s good, but-”

Mai cuts herself off, takes a deep breath as she lifts her left hand up, holds it out in front of them. The sparkling bling on her ring finger reflects sparkles along the bathroom tiles and walls, ones that make Mai wince when they shine on her face. 

“I just don’t know. I’m not feeling what I’m supposed to feel, y’know?” Mai sits back, scooches away from the toilet to lean against the wall. 

Asami joins her because really, does she have anywhere else to be? She doesn’t know what to do though, not when Mai’s looking so forlorn and lost and all Asami wants is to be there for her, somehow, even though she’s never felt the way Mai is feeling right now. 

So Asami leans her head on Mai’s shoulder, feeling the comforting warmth of Mai leaning her head against hers, too. “I dunno, babe. I wish I could tell you I had the answer, or how to make things magical, but I have none of those answers. All I know is that you deserve to be happy. You deserve the ending that you’ve always wanted. I think you need to first figure out exactly what that is.”

Mai sighs, twisting her ring on her finger. “I have no idea what that is.”

“No need to decide on your birthday with a tipsy brain. It can wait.” Asami unfolds herself from the ground, gets herself up before holding her hands out to Mai so that she can help her up, too. 

“C’mon. Let’s get you into bed.”

The conversation replays in her mind, though, as she Ubers home from Mai’s. It makes no sense - how has Mai lost that spark with her fiancé, when they’ve always looked so stable? Did Mai ever really have it in the first place? Or did she just think she did? Was the way Mai had felt in the bathroom just cold feet, or was it something bigger?

And then there’s that spark Mai had talked about in the first place. Asami tries to picture what it would feel like, what the concept of sparks flying actually even means. Fireworks and butterflies and falling head over heels? Hell, Asami feels fireworks when she kisses Korra, but it’s only because she’s kissing a pretty girl after ages and ages and fully enjoying it. The concept of sparks flying feels elusive, something that could be searched for forever and ever without ever truly being found. It feels similar to the way that Korra’s looking for her true love, and how she’s absolutely convinced that she’ll know when she finds her. 

It feels like everyone has a radar for knowing these kinds of things except for Asami. Not that Asami minds, not really. Being in search of something that’ll never be in reach seems fruitless. Unnecessary. Especially when she has other things she’d rather be spending her time on. 

Quite frankly? Asami’s good with just her cats and friendship - especially Korra’s.


	8. Chapter 8

“Why are we at another workout class? Is this your way of telling me I gotta exercise more?” Korra’s expression is skeptical, her eyes darting around the room as she watches the rest of the attendees warming up, already beginning to contort their bodies into various poses to stretch and warm up. 

“You’re the one who couldn’t sit still in my office before we left this afternoon.” Asami lets out a snort as she folds over in her split, feeling the deep tug in her muscles that is always oh-so-satisfying. 

It takes her back to early morning ballet classes and leotards and repeating steps over and over again until they’ve become ingrained in her bones, a simpler time that had been cut short by injuries way too soon. A career in ballet hadn’t been in her cards, but the occasional dance class here and there works as an adequate substitute. 

“I had that afternoon meeting that ran way too long. It was really boring Sami.” Korra lets out a dramatic sigh as she massages her quads to loosen them up. “I gotta squirm after. Let out all that extra energy that builds up like lava.”

“You are absolutely a volcano, I agree with that.” Asami can’t help her snicker when Korra’s features are lit up in mock offense. 

“Excuse m-”

“See? So adorably explosive.”

“Don’t make me burn you with my lava.” Korra sticks her tongue out and Asami winks right back, just because she loves the way it always makes Korra’s breath catch in her throat.

But then the class teacher yells out a hello, and Asami feels the excited tingling in her limbs, the way she’s already itching to stretch and move and dance. 

“I’m still nervous about this. What did you say it was? Contemporary?” Korra’s eyes raise higher and higher on her forehead as the instructor demonstrates the combination that they’ll be working on, partnered with a fellow dancer.

“Yeah. Hey, you dance. You know how to take movements and make them your own. We’ll be great.” Asami nudges Korra’s side, gives her an encouraging smile when Korra looks up at her with a slight panic in her eyes. “Besides, it looks like this choreography is learned as a pair. Which means we’re doing this together, partner.”

Korra lets out a little nervous chuckle. “My dancing is limited, y’know.”

“And yet, I have a feeling that you’ll somehow be better than most of the people here. No one’s as captivating as you are.” The words are so true, so natural coming from Asami’s mouth that they don’t cause any disruption in the waves between the two of them.

Because Korra is, she’s someone Asami can never take her eyes off of. 

“You’re just saying that because you have to, as a fake girlfriend. That’s your job.” Korra winces when the class instructor lifts her own dance partner up in a gravity defying hold, as if she’s picturing how far the journey is to the ground.

“I don’t say anything I don’t mean. Now watch the combo. We’re going to be learning it in about thirty seconds.”

Dance, to Asami, is as natural as breathing. Sure, the extension in her limbs and the spotting as she turns and the crispness in her movements aren’t as prominent as they used to be when Asami was a teenager and in the studio every waking free hour she had, but the fluidity is. The way her muscles sing and strain and make her brain work double-time until the choreography becomes embedded in her bones and simply an extension of her. 

Korra’s looking at her when the last bit of the routine that they’re learning calls for them to face each other, close but not touching because the dance is portraying them as soulmates who are a smidge apart. So close and yet so far, separated by an invisible pane of glass. 

Asami feels it, feels it in Korra too when the choreography seems to be pouring out of her soul, the emotion and movements that interlock so delicately between the both of them. It feels like Korra’s breathing out as she does, pulls in air in tandem with her and Asami’s almost certain that their hearts are beating in sync, linked by the way their bodies seem to anticipate what the other is going to do.

It’s after their fifth runthrough of the entire routine towards the end of the class that the instructor calls for pairs to try and do it on their own, to let everyone else watch and learn. Maybe it’s the way hers and Korra’s hands are linked, the way that Asami doesn’t want to let go of her or stop feeling her pulse beating against her palm, but the instructor stops in front of them. 

Gestures to the empty practice floor. 

“I saw how well you two were working together while I was teaching the piece. Go show us all what it’s supposed to look like, yeah?”

Asami’s about to protest, say thanks, but no thanks, not today but Korra’s tugging on her hand, pulling her to the floor and it’s okay, it is, because she has Korra to focus on.

She can dance in front of everyone, pretend that no one else is here except for Korra.

Hell, Asami used to dance in front of others all the time. Granted, the last time she’d done so had been as a teenager, but she can still do it now. Or at least try. Especially with Korra, whose feet are tapping and grip is tightening on Asami’s hand because she’s a little nervous, too. 

**_Instagram story posted by @asamisato. Asami and Korra seemingly connected through the choreography, wrapped up in one another and almost anticipating each other’s movements, as if by magic._ **

If Korra closes her eyes, she can still feel the ghost of Asami’s touch around her waist. The way Asami’s hands had held her, lifted her up, the way the strands of hair from Asami’s ponytail had brushed against Korra’s face when she’d spun around. 

The way Asami’s eyes had been endless, pulling her in and how tearing her eyes away had felt like physical pain. Korra’s peeking up at her as they walk, casting small glances because she’s absolutely going to get burned if she looks for too long. Asami is the sun, and she’s drawing Korra in with light and promises and warmth, except Korra doesn’t know if they’re even meant for her.

She doesn’t know what to think.

Their dance and the holiday party and the way Asami’s kisses make her feel more than any other past relationship ever has, even though they’re not actually dating and everything is fake and they’re just doing this for free food.

But there’s a part of Korra that’s enjoying it a little too much, that wants to keep this going on for longer and longer and longer because then she can keep holding Asami’s hand. Feel her lips on hers.

She’s pathetic.

It had been the dance class. Somehow the determination, the rawness in Asami’s eyes as they both moved all sweaty and out of breath, had been the most beautiful sight to Korra, pushing her harder and harder. She’s never been so drained from a class before, and she’s never wished for a class not to end, either. Not if it means she never gets to see Asami look at her like that again.

It’s as if the world has tilted on its axis. Sure, they’re just walking to the subway and away from the studio and it’s only been about an hour and a half since they’d walked in, but now everything feels clearer, sharper, yet somehow more shaky. More on edge. She can’t focus on anything else now, not the cracks in the sidewalk or the way the cars are honking in the busy intersection, because nothing is important anymore except for Asami. Asami’s holding her transit pass with a delicate air, her fingers tapping a beat on the plastic. Her hair is falling in soft tendrils from her bun.

Part of her wants to get away from Asami. Stop everything, all of it before her brain takes things too far the way it always does. Maybe she still has time to run home before she starts thinking about futures and other timelines with Asami where they’re not dating just to win a bet. Instead, where they’re actually together and Asami’s kisses actually mean something and her grip around her waist is more than that of a friend. 

But it’s too late. Korra’s gone, fully gone, because Asami turns back, grins at her before they descend the steps to the subway station, and Korra’s heart flips over in her chest.

She’s screwed. 

****

Asami wants to dance again. 

The contemporary class feels like it’s infused her veins with more energy than she’s had in months, and she’s alive with it, with the way it’s flowing through her soul. She wants to dance with Korra forever, take every class they can now together because she’s never felt this before - so connected, so in tune with someone else. 

Maybe this fake dating really has been a great idea, after all. 

Asami had promised earlier in the day to make them both dinner, because the dance studio is closer to her apartment than Korra’s and at least they’ll be able to eat faster. She’d whipped up a risotto and Korra’s still raving about her cooking as she always does, still coming back for seconds but Asami can’t shake the feeling that something is-

Off. 

Maybe it’s that when they turn on the new season of The Bachelor, Korra is uncharacteristically quiet and not letting out the cracks and snickers she usually does when they watch trash TV. Maybe it’s the way that Asami swears she catches Korra’s gaze on her and it’s not content or happy the way it usually is, but shifty. Nervous. Tense. As if something is wrong. 

As if Asami has done something wrong. 

Asami puts her arm around Korra because they’re so used to intertwining themselves on the couch now, having reached a level of comfort that reflects how close they’ve become. She does it every time they watch something all curled up in front of the TV. Except today feels different, off, because Korra tenses underneath her. 

It’s barely noticeable, and if it had been someone other than Korra, Asami may not have noticed. But Asami knows Korra as well as she knows the back of her own hand, the freckles on her own arms and it’s clear enough.

Korra’s stiff and maybe it’s because she’s uncomfortable but Asami can’t tell, and Korra’s eyes are still on the TV as her breath hitches in her throat. 

“Hey, you okay?” Despite the soft voice, Asami doesn’t mean to ask, not really. She doesn’t want to pry, but she doesn’t want to make Korra uncomfortable, be the one responsible for making her feel anything less than content. 

Korra finally, finally looks over at her, and the sight is disconcerting because it’s the first time that Korra’s emotions aren’t written on her sleeve. Well, they are - but Asami can’t decipher the swirls in her eyes the way that she usually can, the way she ordinarily knows Korra better than she knows anyone else. But right now, Asami can’t tell. And the thought of that alone is terrifying. 

“Yeah, I’m all good.” The half smile on Korra’s face isn’t convincing, not when paired with how stiff Korra is, how she bites her own lip before turning back towards the television. 

“Okay.” Asami lets out the words in a breath so soft that she’s not even sure if Korra hears them, but what else should she do?

Asami wants to fret, fuss over Korra and make sure she’s okay, but what if she’s already overcrowding her? What if Asami’s in Korra’s space way too much and making her uncomfortable and wanting to get away from Asami for once?

It’s simple between them. Or, at least it’s supposed to be, just a fun arrangement that makes them fake being together for some excitement in their lives. Except the carelessness and fun of it suddenly feels like it’s shifted into something else, something that makes Asami’s heart flip over uneasily in her chest because she doesn’t know how to fix it. 

So they stay on the couch, and Korra eventually leans her head on Asami’s shoulder, but Asami can swear that she can feel Korra's heart speeding up, too. 

It isn’t until the final rose is handed out and crying girls are sent home after not winning the bachelor’s heart that Korra turns towards her, tucks a lock of hair behind her own ear. Her eyes flit to the photographs on the wall to the kitchen counter to the floor, never quite focusing on Asami. 

“I gotta go. Nala’s probably getting antsy.”

It’s not a fake excuse, Asami knows that, and she of all people understands the need to run back home to the pets. But it’s different, not something Korra’s ever said before because Eska’s always there, and Korra had attested in the past that Nala was always fine with her. 

So what’s changed? 

Asami has a feeling it has nothing to do with Korra’s dog.

All to do with her. 

She doesn’t know why Korra’s pulling away, what about the dance class has made Korra so shifty when it had the opposite effect on Asami. She wants to protest, stop Korra from leaving with a hand on her shoulder because why, what’s changed? What has Asami done?

The words are in her throat as Korra’s pulling her jacket and beanie on, lacing up her winter boots. Korra leaves with a wave instead of a nudge, or a hug goodbye and Asami’s definitely not imagining it, no matter how paranoid she knows she’s being. 

Something’s wrong, and it’s her fault. 

****

Korra doesn’t stop by Asami’s office the next morning. 

She can’t do it - she feels too fucking guilty. How can she pretend to fake date Asami when all she wants is the real thing, to have Asami pull her in and kiss her and rest her head on her shoulder? It’s wrong, it’s so wrong and she’s exploiting Asami, she knows she is if she does it any more without Asami even being aware of it. 

She needs to get her feelings under control. 

Korra’s brain has always been a bit of a dumbass when it comes to dating. Falling hard and fast, getting hurt in the process or ending up disillusioned. She had thought it would be safe from Asami when they first started this, she really had, because ending up with Asami hadn’t been the purpose of the fake dating in the first place. It had been for some fun and some free food and she had ended up becoming great friends with Asami in the process, and has found a level of comfort with her that she doesn’t come close to sharing with anyone else. 

Except now that all feels blackened, marred, because Korra’s staining it with the way her heart tugs for Asami, and wants her not just as a fake girlfriend, but for something real. Something that neither of them ever agreed upon. 

Asami’s going to hate her. Never want her to come near her again, not after trusting Korra and now look at how she’s gone and caught feelings? 

Korra needs to get over this, and fast. Because Asami doesn’t deserve to be written off as just another person who Korra ruins by coming too close to them with her heart. 

She texts Asami around lunchtime, because while cutting contact is safer it just feels cruel, and she doesn’t want Asami to be hurt because of her. So she cops out, gives a measly excuse that would be ridiculous if it wasn’t for the way she already feels sick to her stomach. 

**Korra: gonna skip lunch with u today**

**Korra: think i ate something bad yesterday my tum hurts**

**Korra: gonna head home :((**

The ticking of the clock is torturously slow, minutes passing at what feels like a snail’s pace before Korra’s phone lights up with a reply.

**Asami: okay**

**Asami: hope you feel better**

Korra bites her lip when the three dots signalling that Asami is still typing disappear from the chat, and maybe she’s fucked up, really fucked up. Maybe Asami can already tell what Korra wants and hates her for it. Maybe Asami wants Korra to leave her alone first-

But then Asami sends a gif of two cats cuddling, their eyes closed and looking serene.

**Asami: hugs for your tum**

The tug in Korra’s heart knots itself just a little bit tighter, weaving fragments of Asami throughout itself because there’s no way she’s ever going to be able to let Asami go without her heart shattering itself into pieces in the process. 

“Korra. Korra!”

Opal’s voice nearly knocks Korra off of her chair, pushes through the thoughts of Asami that don’t seem to be able to leave her mind and Korra has to catch her breath before turning to face her. 

“What?”

“I asked you three times already. You aren’t listening.” Opal pouts, points to her screen where a Buzzfeed quiz is open. “Now, choose a man. Michael B. Jordan or Maluma?” 

“Maluma.” Korra sighs as Opal clicks his picture, leading her to her next quiz question. “Opal?”

“Yeah?” 

“How do you stay so unmessy when it comes to relationships?”

Opal’s dating history remains relatively tame, just guys who are sweet enough to have earned Kuvira and Korra’s approval in the past. Hell, Korra’s positive that she’s still friends with some of them, having formed strong enough bonds to not lose them in the process. 

Opal’s never had the ridiculousness of Korra’s past relationships, filled with tearful breakups and too much yelling and jealousy and explosions that scratched Korra’s delicate surfaces a little more every time. She doesn’t want to ruin what she has with Asami, she can’t, because Asami is too important and deserves the best, but-

How can Korra keep Asami without Asami hating her for wanting something more, when they’d implicitly agreed to never go there?

“It’s called being a mature adult who knows how to talk. Not just talking for the sake of talking, Korra. Communicating.” Opal’s clicked on another quiz, one about cast members from Jersey Shore and Korra knows that she’s only half listening.

“What’s the difference?”

Opal sighs, pushes her chair away from her cubicle so that she can face Korra more easily. The look in her eyes is soft, sympathetic, the kind that Opal always takes on when it’s time for her to turn into the mom friend. “You keep things inside that should be out in the open and it’s gonna fester and build up and turn into resentment. Relationships aren’t always magical. They need that strong foundation to build upon and get stronger with time. And you do that by being honest and communicate things that need to be shared.” 

“How’s it so easy for you to tell your boyfriend things that could be taken badly?”

“Taken badly? What, you killed someone and want her to hide the body, Korra?” Opal reaches out, squeezes her hand. “Listen. You two have been together for quite a few months now, and it’s sappy as fuck how quick her eyes light up when she’s around you. You’re good together. Whatever it is, it’s something that can be worked through with each other. I have faith in that.”

“That makes one of us.” Korra mumbles the words under her breath, because she can’t really go and tell Opal the truth, the fact that they’re not even together. 

What’s Korra supposed to do? She doesn’t want Asami to hate her, see her as predatory now that she has feelings towards her. Think that she’s just doing it for her own selfish reasons. Which Korra is, technically, but for food, not for free kisses. 

What if Asami won’t be as comfortable with her anymore? What if Asami will think that Korra is taking advantage of her? 

Korra can’t tell Asami, she can’t. But she can’t get too close to Asami anymore, either, for her own sake. And she absolutely can’t follow Opal’s advice and tell Asami about her feelings, not when she’s probably going to be disgusted by them. 

Korra’s never really one to make smart decisions. Not that she really has a choice in the matter when alI of the options are shit.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> korra you dumb dumb bitch..... i’m so sorry y’all i swear this is a happy story and things will get better!


	9. Chapter 9

Asami’s trying really, really hard to focus on the spreadsheets on her computer screen, with the cells and numbers that had begun to blur together hours ago. Because it’s fine, everything is fine, nothing is weird or off or wrong.

It isn’t.

Maybe there’s a logical explanation. There has to be - Asami always starts to spiral, anyway, when there’s no need for it and she’s learned how to appraise situations over the years that could be confusing. She knows how to talk herself down.

Except that Asami’s unable to think of anything that can explain the past week at all. Because everything had been normal a little over a week ago, her and Korra had been hanging out the way they always do, and then all of a sudden, things had changed. After they had taken the contemporary class, that fucking class which had been amazing and Korra had been amazing and they had been so amazing together, so in sync. 

Asami wants it back, that feeling of being in tune with someone, with Korra. Because they’ve been in tandem for months now, playing off of each other and having such a good time pulling off their scheme. Asami’s never laughed as much as she has in the last few months with Korra or ever had so much fun, and has never opened up so much for someone else, either. 

Someone who Asami feels like is pulling away. 

Asami tries to rack her brain as the clock on the wall keeps ticking and bringing her closer to lunchtime. It can’t be anything that Asami has said over text, because she’s pretty tame when it comes to messaging and lets Korra take the lead most of the time. It can’t be anything from work, because they’re in different departments and rarely cross paths in a professional way. So it has to be the contemporary class. Maybe taking Korra to the class had been a mistake. Because they’d done a paired dance and they’re not an item, and maybe it just made everything too real, too weird when they had to connect like that, dancing and working off of each other. 

Paired dancing doesn’t bother Asami, because she’d done them in ballet school with classmates. But maybe Korra’s not used to it, maybe it had felt odd for her, a little too close for comfort. 

But just a dance class can’t be enough for Korra to pull away the way that she has. Was it instead something Asami had said, maybe too many wine glasses in before Korra had decided enough was enough?

What if Korra regrets ever asking Asami to be her fake girlfriend? What if Asami’s somehow screwed it up enough that Korra hates her and doesn’t even want to interact with her anymore?

But she can’t have, because Korra’s not like that. Korra’s open and understanding, a good listener too if she can keep quiet for long enough. Korra isn’t one to just go and practically ghost someone for no reason. 

Maybe Asami should text her, strike up a conversation using a neutral topic to get things back to the way they should be. Maybe it’ll fix this vibe between them. 

**Asami: The interns are discussing the last 90 Day Fiance episode by the photocopy machine**

**Asami: Part of me wants to join in**

It’s not that Asami expects a text back right away, not really, or even an hour later at that. She puts her phone away and tries to bury herself in work and emails and conference calls, until it’s the end of the day and she’s pulling her phone out of her drawer again and…

Still no message from Korra.

Which doesn’t matter. It’s fine. Asami isn’t clingy for someone who’s her fake girlfriend, she’s not. She has no reason to be.

It’s just that Korra usually texts her back and makes her laugh, by coming up with something silly. Usually, Asami’s giggling down at her phone screen and not at all looking like the project manager that she’s supposed to be, except not today. Because the only text messages she has are from her group chat with Jinora and Mai.

Asami’s overreacting. She shouldn’t be unsettled by the change in Korra, because Korra doesn’t owe her anything, not in the least. There’s nowhere that states that they have to talk all the time, anyway. So why does it feel like so much more?

Asami heads to her spin class before going home, cooks dinner while the cats sit on the kitchen counter and watch her pace as the stir fry on the stove begins to sizzle. Her screen is still empty of notifications as she does the dishes, tidies up her kitchen and living room a little. The spot on the couch where Korra likes to sit taunts her, reminding her of the fact that Korra isn’t there. That she probably doesn’t want to be anymore.

But why?

**** 

Asami’s tired. 

She’s had three meetings, a rather lengthy phone call with a potential supplier, and now is only halfway done with wading through the mess that is her work inbox in the days leading up to a big deadline. She hates this part - when the pieces of the puzzle still need to come together, when she’s doing everything she can on her end but has to leave certain parts unfinished until other people do theirs. It’s the time when a project feels like it’s not going to be able to come together on time, when she’s going to have to take the fallout because she’s the manager. It always does get done, in the end. Asami knows that. She just hates the waiting. 

She needs a cigarette. 

The balcony on the 9th floor had been an accidental yet pleasant discovery when Asami had first started at her job years ago, and had gotten lost trying to find a meeting room. It’s been empty in the years since, somewhere she’s been coming to clear her head more and more often whenever she needs to. She had added a hanging plant to the railing a few summers ago, and the vines continue to spread out more and more every time she visits. 

It’s nice. It’s her space. Asami’s never seen anyone here before, and she’d always thought that the unassuming door leads to others passing by and not stopping, but-

“Korra?” 

Asami feels rooted to her spot at the door, as if the vines from the railing have twisted up her ankles to keep her in place. Korra whirls around like she’s been caught, nearly jumping a foot in the air and from the wideness of her eyes and the way her lips are slightly parted, she doesn’t look like she’s been expecting Asami, either. 

“What are you doing here?” Korra’s tone is slightly on edge, slightly panicked. As if she’s the one who’s been ignored for the past few days. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Asami doesn’t mean for her voice to come out cold and dismissive, but it keeps her hands from shaking as she lights her cigarette. “This is my spot.”

“Your spot? No it isn’t.” Korra crosses her arms, raises a brow when Asami looks over at her, and she has to try hard to keep her heart from beating out of her chest and letting out words that absolutely don’t need to be spilled. 

“Yeah it is? Who do you think added the plant?” Asami’s traitor plant, not telling her that Korra’s been coming here too without her knowing. The absolute betrayal. 

“And here I thought the janitors just wanted to make the balcony all pretty.” Korra's lips curve up in a slight smile and Asami has to push down the way she naturally wants to reciprocate, because Korra always manages to pull her face into that expression. 

But she’s still annoyed. 

Asami lets the silence hang and become denser and heavier between them, until the air becomes hard to pull into her lungs. She doesn’t break it, though, instead waits until Korra cracks first because she doesn’t have any explaining to do of her own. It’s not on her. 

Korra breaks the way that Asami expects her to, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she tears her gaze from the traffic below and brings it up to Asami, her eyes pleading with something that Asami doesn’t understand. “Listen Asami, I…” 

Asami has to let out a laugh of disbelief when Korra trails off, and takes another drag from her cigarette because what else is she supposed to do, anyway? Spoonfeed Korra some excuse? “That the best you got?”

“It’s not that simple.” Korra’s fiddling with her hands the way Asami knows she does when she’s on edge, and Asami has to resist the urge to reach out and squeeze them.

“Pretty sure even I have enough brain cells to understand what’s going on. Pretty shitty, y’know, ghosting a fake girlfriend. The heartbreak almost feels real.”

Maybe it does feel real. Maybe the tug in her lungs when she breathes in the nicotine feels exactly the way her chest does when Korra avoids her. Maybe the way she’s been racking her brain, trying to figure out what she’s done wrong, is the closest she’ll ever get to understanding how her taken friends feel. 

Not that Asami’s keen on ever experiencing it again. 

“I didn’t - I didn’t mean to push you away.” Korra mutters the words, as if saying them softly keeps them from being true. 

“Then what?” Asami doesn’t mean to sound so biting, so desperate, but it makes no sense - none of it makes any sense. 

Not the way Korra’s avoiding eye contact with her and biting at her lower lip, her teeth nearly breaking the skin and making her bleed. Or the way that Asami’s heart is attempting to rip free from her chest, escaping the vault that her ribs form around it.

Korra’s tapping an irregular beat on the railing, the unpredictability paralleling with the way that she herself always seems to change at a moment’s notice. “I can’t tell you.” 

Asami lets out a frustrated breath, running a hand through her own hair that’s going to be impossible to salvage from the wind later on. “Why the fuck not? Why, you found a new person to fake date? Or what, you actually found a girl to give you that happily ever after you’ve always wanted? Pretty easy to ditch someone once you’ve gotten your fairy tale, huh?”

Korra’s eyes darken, storms in her pupils as she narrows them. “It isn’t like that. You don’t know shit.”

“Impeccable comeback. Especially since you’re not telling me anything in the first place. Very impressive.” Asami spits out the words, as if the poison that leaks through them will cover up the desperation that threatens to bleed out from under her skin (what’s wrong, what did I do, why won’t you talk to me?).

But Korra’s definitely not going to tell her anything now, from the way her face is hardening, her expression turning into a scowl that is so unlike the bright smile that Asami knows well. “You think I’m going to tell you now? Not gonna happen. You don’t deserve to know.”

“So you’re just not going to talk to me from now on, after all of this? After all of our fake dates and hangouts which apparently don’t mean that much, if you’re ready to let them go just like that?” 

Asami tries not to think about how Korra fits perfectly in her arms when they’re leaning against each other and watching TV, or how Korra makes her laugh more than anyone else she knows. Because it’s irrelevant right now, and the tugging in her heart is doing nothing to help her keep her composure. 

“It’s a fucking mess, okay? I need to figure this shit out and I can’t do it with you confusing me right now.” Korra holds out a hand as if Asami is a nuisance, as if she’s bothering her and Asami can’t take it anymore. Not when she doesn’t even know what puzzle Korra is trying to solve in the first place. 

“Really, huh?” Asami lets out a bitter laugh, almost distracting enough from the way that her chest seems to clench at the words (no, no, no). “Then fuck it. This, right here? It’s done.”

The words feel like the final bricks of the wall that has built up between them over the last week. Asami hasn’t been the one to add much to it, but sealing it up now feels final. Lasting.

The lump in her throat has nothing to do with Korra or being upset. Asami wants to pull out another cigarette, bring the burning sensation back to her lungs to drown everything else out, drown Korra out because she can’t do it anymore. 

But Korra’s face is faltering, and the step she takes forward mirrors Asami’s step back towards the door. “Asami-”

“We’re done.”

****

Asami doesn’t answer her texts or calls. 

Korra supposes that she deserves it, really, after leaving Asami high and dry for more than a week and then pushing her away when she’d tried to ask why. 

But what else was she supposed to do? 

Korra wants to throw her phone across her room, have it collide with the wall and maybe, if she’s lucky enough, shatter into a million pieces so that she doesn’t have to see how it’s so dreadfully empty. How Asami’s ignoring her in the way she rightfully deserves. It’s a reminder of the fact that Korra’s fucked up, royally fucked up, because she can’t even keep a fake relationship intact. Because she ruins everything.

It makes sense, when Korra thinks about it. She’s the common denominator in all of her past relationships, all the past girlfriends and occasional boyfriends that she’s never worked it out with, because they had never fit just right. 

But maybe, Korra’s the one that doesn’t fit. She can’t gel with anyone, can’t complete anyone because she’s an anomaly that is too loud, too overbearing, and who would even want it? More than that, who would actually want to stick with it? With her?

It makes sense that Asami’s letting her go. And Korra is the one responsible for it. 

Korra really should have just kept her fucking mouth shut. She should have gone about life like normal, ignored the way her heart still goes into overdrive whenever she sees Asami, the way Asami cures any bad mood she has and makes her believe that maybe, just maybe, everything will be okay. 

But Korra couldn’t deal, she couldn’t be a normal person around Asami after she had realized that she cared, and cared so fucking much at that for Asami. And wanted more. And maybe even loved-

No. 

Korra doesn’t. 

And now Asami hates her because she couldn’t fucking explain herself at the time and instead had pushed Asami away, widening the distance between them to clear her head. Except that now Asami’s too far, practically unreachable and continuing to walk further and further away from her. 

Like everyone else has. Like everyone else will continue to do so, because Korra knows just how to ruin whatever good actually comes into her life. 

She’s so fucking stupid. 

Part of her wants to head up to Asami’s office, plead her case, apologize - something, anything to break this silence between them, to shatter the wall that’s built up, but what can she even say? Oh sorry Asami, I’m actually super into you, I swear I’m not a creep even though I want it to be real and don’t want to fake it anymore? 

Korra can’t do that. She just can’t. 

Kuvira and Opal notice that something is off when Korra sinks onto Opal’s couch with a sigh as they unpack their delivered sushi, not bothering to reach for her own. Or maybe they’ve been noticing it all week, because the glances that the two of them exchange are familiar to Korra, as if they’re deciding whether to say something or not. 

Korra feels a hand on her shoulder when she rests her cheek on her hand, closes her eyes because she’s really not too hungry. Kuvira’s face is uncharacteristically soft, empathetic. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Nah. It isn’t a big deal.” She can’t tell Kuvira or Opal, of all people. Not when they’re the two that she’s been hiding the fake dating from in the first place. 

Damn. Korra really knows how to get herself into some complicated shit that no one else is able to get her out of. It’s a talent, really. 

“Gotta be a big deal, ‘cause you’ve been pouting all week and weren’t even excited for Taco Tuesday, and you’re always excited about Taco Tuesday.” Kuvira’s brows knit in concern, and Korra wonders if Kuvira truly is bothered by it - because, after all, Kuvira had been the one who had gotten her uneaten tacos that day. 

“Spill, Korra. Is it ‘cause Kuvira took the last cinnamon bun during the breakfast meeting today? You do like those.” Opal scoots closer on her other side, pats her shoulder. 

“Why do you all think it’s food related?” Korra scowls, but pauses, because it kind of is. Asami is a bit of a snack. 

One that she’ll probably never have again. 

“‘Cause it usually always is.” Opal snickers, reaching for one of Korra’s uneaten sushi rolls. “You threw a fit yesterday after the bistro didn’t have your favorite grilled veggie sandwich.”

“And last week, you called me upset in the grocery store because you were unable to decide between two brands of hummus.” Kuvira grabs a roll, too, letting out a noise of content after popping it into her mouth. 

Korra huffs. “Not related to food. And stop eating my damn dinner.”

Opal doesn’t miss a beat. “Eat it, then.” 

“No.” 

“C’mon, Korra. Tell us. We’re here to listen and fight anyone on your behalf, and you know it.” Opal squeezes her shoulder. “Is it Asami?”

Korra must flinch, because Opal’s face morphs into an expression of sympathy. “Oh, baby. What happened?”

“Nothing.” Korra mumbles the words as quietly as she can, squeezes her eyes shut tighter, as if maybe it’ll make everything around her disappear.

“Did you two fight? Is she treating you bad? What’s she doing? Do I gotta square up with her?” Kuvira’s voice reaches a higher and higher pitch as she looks over with concern. “Are you two gonna be okay?”

“I messed up, not her.” Korra mumbles, quietly enough that maybe, just maybe, Kuvira and Opal don’t hear it. “Caught feelings.”

“Caught feelings? You are in a relationship, dumbass.” Kuvira snorts, finishing off her dinner and dropping her chopsticks on the coffee table with a flourish. 

Well. Korra may as well, since her and Asami are done. There’s no point anymore. 

“Yeah. About that…”

****

“We bought you food -” 

“It was just supposed to be fun-”

“Pad thai. So much pad thai-”

“For shits and giggles-”

“An entire damn pizza -”

“Just a nice good time, y’know? Acting a fool and pretending to date while having a blast.” 

Korra would feel bad, she would, except the sight of Opal rubbing her temples as if she has the world’s worst migraine is kind of funny, even though she’s still feeling like shit. Kuvira’s grabbed the boxes of cookies they’d bought for dessert and is munching her way through them, eyes wide, as her and Opal try to decipher Korra’s words. 

“So, let me get this straight. You convinced her to pretend to be your girlfriend, just so that my pockets could hurt?” Opal takes a sip of her drink, a long, long sip. 

“And it was working, it really was! But now it’s all gone to shit and she fucking hates me.” Korra sinks down further and further into the couch, as if it can swallow her up whole if she wishes for it hard enough. 

“What did you do, Korra?” Opal’s voice isn’t angry anymore, like Korra expects her to be. It’s soft, and it’s almost worse because now Korra can feel the pity rolling off of her, and she hates it. 

“Nothing! Well, convinced her to pretend to date me. Hung out a bunch, watched trash tv. Spent time with our pets. Went to workout classes together.” The wistful sigh that leaves Korra would be cliche were it not for the way her heart feels like it’s sinking down to her stomach, the more that she remembers how Asami’s hair glows under the moonlight of her bedroom window. 

“You all actually hung out outside of what you posted on Instagram? Damn.” Kuvira looks surprised as she grabs for another roll, and Korra shrugs. 

“Yeah, I mean, we’re friends. She’s fun to do things with and talk to. Well…” Korra pauses, because the most recent developments between the two of them reiterate themselves in her head, reminding her of the fact that they’re not like that anymore. “We were friends.” 

But now she’s gone and messed it all up. 

“So what happened? You told her you want her pussy for real and she bolted?” Kuvira shrugs when Opal makes a face at her. “What?” 

“Jesus, Kuvira.” Opal shakes her head, reaches out to pat Korra’s shoulder. “She didn’t take it well?”

“No, I…” Korra pauses, looks down because she hates reliving it, seeing it unfold in her head again. “I didn’t tell her.”

“Then why the hell are you such a mess?”

“Hey! I’m not a mess.” Korra’s not. She’s not. 

“You haven’t brushed your hair in at least two days.” Opal rubs her fingers through her locks, wrinkling her nose when they snag in the tangles. 

“So? Maybe it’s a good look.” Not even Korra’s that delusional. 

“But something’s happened, Korra, so if you didn’t tell her, then what?”

“I tried to stay away from her until I could get my feelings under control so that we could still do this, but then she started thinking that I was ghosting her and just wanted to ditch her, and now she hates me.” Korra thinks back to the way Asami’s face had gone from hurt to indifferent on the balcony, how Asami had buried those feelings right in front of her eyes, put the armour back up. She wants to tear it down, get her Asami back, but how can she?

Opal doesn’t respond, for a few seconds. She lets out a sigh, a deep sigh, before grabbing her drink and draining the rest of the glass. “I love you, Korra, I really do. But this?”

“Yeah?” Korra squeaks out the words.

“The pinnacle of stupidity.” 

“I know.” Korra groans, because she hates it, really hates it. 

“How did she take it? Like when you were leaving her on read?” Kuvira leans back against the couch cushions once she’s done her sushi, making herself comfortable. “Did she care or…?”

“Course she cares. Wouldn’t you care if one of us left you on read, Kuvira?” Opal gives Kuvira a pointed look, and she shrugs. 

“Yeah, but like, how much did she care? Was she a normal amount of upset or super upset?”

“What’s a normal amount of upset?” Korra doesn’t want to remember how lost Asami had looked on the balcony, how she had just wanted an answer and Korra wants to tell her, she really does. But how can she? “She looked pretty hurt.”

“Cause you ditched her after spending 24/7 with her and left her without so much as a kiss goodbye.” Opal’s words make Korra want to shrink, disappear, because they’re true. 

Korra knows that if Asami had done the same to her, she would have freaked out, started to second guess all of their interactions and would have tried to figure out where she went wrong. 

Is Asami feeling the same?

Korra thinks back to the balcony, when Asami’s eyes had been so wide and pleading as she had asked Korra over and over again to tell her what was wrong. 

But then Korra had refused one too many times, until the vulnerability on Asami’s face was replaced with a smoothness. A hardness. Similar to the way she’d carried herself when they’d first spoken in the cafeteria. The way Asami presents herself to anyone that she hasn’t let in yet.

And now, it feels like there’s no going back. Korra’s only going to get the wall, the barrier that keeps her from the softer, sweeter parts of Asami that Korra had felt like she’d earned - only to go and throw them all away.

She’s messed up. Really messed up. 

Korra slouches further down on the couch, wrinkling her nose towards the sushi on the table, because how is she supposed to eat anything now? “What do I do?” 

“Like I told you before. Talk to her. You run your mouth too much but never at the right times. Now’s the time to apologize, even if it’s gonna hurt your ego.” 

Opal tugs on Korra’s arm until her head is resting on her shoulder, and Korra’s reminded of how lucky she is to have Opal and Kuvira as her best friends. Having people to lean on is nice, even when she can’t lean on herself. 

“She’s gonna hate me.” Korra mumbles the words as if whispering them will make them less true, as if Asami hadn’t looked at her with disdain and rightfully so when she’d proclaimed that they were done. 

And who’s to know what Asami is going to say now, if Korra tells her the truth?

Kuvira raises an eyebrow before grabbing the tempura. “Let’s be real. Are you gonna be worse off than you are now? It’s only gonna go uphill from here, ‘cause this really is ridiculously rock bottom, y’know.” 

“Hey!”

“You know I’m right. Talking to her isn’t gonna start World War Three.” Kuvira snickers at the look of indignation that spreads over Korra’s features before she can reel it in. “At least let her know that it isn’t anything she’s done. It was your stupid ass running after realizing you want to bone for real.”

“Do you really gotta phrase it that nasty?” Korra makes a face, but she knows that Kuvira is right. That Opal is right. That letting Asami believe she’s done something wrong is unfair, that shutting Asami out had been a huge damn mistake.

But the other option is almost scarier. How is Korra supposed to tell Asami that she wants more, that she’s into her? That she doesn’t want to ruin their existing connection but there’s no way she can’t, because she likes her too damn much? 

Especially when Asami herself had told her about her own dislike for relationships. About how they fall apart around her, how they always end in heartbreak and how Asami wants to save herself from it by just...not dating. Carrying along on her own, because she can. 

Except Asami still experienced heartbreak, thanks to her. Their fake relationship feels like it’s ended in a breakup - there’s no way Asami’s going to trust her, or want to be near her now. Not anymore. 

Would she give Korra a chance to bring down the armor that she’s wrapped around herself? Korra’s not sure if she wants to find out the answer to that. 

Korra’s phone is taunting her. The blank screen, the way it hasn’t lit up with any new notifications from Asami. 

Not that Korra expects it to. She doesn’t. Because Asami won’t say anything to her. 

Right?

Kuvira and Opal’s words ring in Korra’s head, lectures about communication and reaching out and being mature for once that she wants to argue against, except that they’re both completely right. 

Korra’s going to have to be the one to reach out to Asami, not the other way around. She tries not to think about the way that Asami had already tried to reach out, already tried to text her once to make conversation before they’d seen each other on the balcony. Because even Asami apparently knows how to communicate like an adult. 

The last unanswered messages from Asami taunt Korra when she opens their conversation and she’s hit with a pang of guilt, like a blanket across her chest that squeezes her just a little bit too tight. It’s a visualization of the way that she’s been unwittingly punishing Asami by stepping away and trying to figure herself out. Korra’s known that she’s done as much, yes, from their conversation on the balcony, when Asami had looked at her with hurt eyes and unsaid accusations that she didn’t want to let free. 

Seeing it in front of her, though, on her phone screen, almost makes everything worse. Why would Asami want to reconcile, anyway, after being on the receiving end of it? Who’s to say she’ll even respond to Korra if she sends something now?

But maybe Korra deserves it, anyway. A taste of her own medicine. 

So she has to try.

**Korra: Hey...I was wondering if you wanted to talk? Same place, balcony, tomorrow at lunch?**

**Read at 7:53 p.m.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭 things are getting better very soon i promise !!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> already time for the penultimate chapter. thank you all SO, so much for all the kind comments <3

Of all the places that Asami has ever wanted to get blackout drunk, a wedding shower is the last place she’s expected from herself. 

It’s not that she wants to be messy, because she really doesn’t. She just wants the entire thing to be wiped from her brain in the near future, because so far, it’s absolutely nauseating. 

Everything is just so fake. The 'congratulations’ banners that hang from every wall, the napkins and cupcakes and party favors and plates that are inscribed with M and Z because Mai and her fiancé are somehow still together, somehow looking nauseatingly happy on the outside, even though Asami knows the truth about how Mai’s been questioning her decisions. All of the fake happiness isn’t real, none of it is real when the two of them are probably going to break up a few years after getting married, when they’re not in the honeymoon phase anymore. It’s stupid. 

So maybe Asami’s jaded. A little bitter. But she’s allowed to be. 

“You’re missing a riveting game of ‘pin the dick on the dude’, especially ‘cause someone just pinned one on his face.” Jinora slides into the seat next to Asami, a mimosa glass in each hand. 

“Somehow, this is a version of pin the tail on the donkey that I don’t care to miss.” Asami really doesn’t understand straight women. She doesn’t. Pinning a paper dick on a poster of Mai’s fiancé on the wall isn’t exactly high on her to-do list.

“Just wait ‘til her bachelorette party. The amount of dicks that are going to be involved? Oh boy.” Jinora snickers, tapping her fingernails on the counter. 

Asami wrinkles her nose. “Are those really necessary?”

“As official bachelorette party planner, yes. All the dick decorations.” Jinora wiggles her eyebrows. “Or should I say, dickorations-”

“Gross.” Asami groans when Jinora lets out a snicker. “If it’s on a dude, I don’t want it. Especially if that dude is Mai’s fiancé.” 

“Is that why you’re sitting here all grumpy?” Jinora hands Asami one of the mimosas, and she doesn’t hesitate in taking a sip from it. “‘Cause of pin the tail on Zuko’s crotch?”

“Is this not just so...convoluted to you?” Asami trails her eyes around the room as she tries to come up with words to explain. But it’s hard, especially because everyone seems to be having fun. But what’s the point?

“What, party games?”

“No, everything else. Like, celebrating two people about to get married. As if half of marriages don’t end in divorce, anyway.” 

Jinora’s eyebrows rises to her hairline. “Woah there, wedding Scrooge. This is one of your best friends who’s about to get married, you know that, right?”

“Right,” Asami sighs, “sorry.”

Jinora shrugs. “Hey, don't apologize to me. As long as you don’t spill to Mai about how you don’t like her schlong-related party games, I think you’re safe.” 

“At least she’s happy.” Asami looks over, sees the way Mai is giggling in delight while taking a sip of her drink. 

Is Mai happy, though, when a couple of weeks ago she had been a mess over the same guy? 

Asami figures she has a chance to find out when the wedding shower ends and the guests head home, as she sticks around to help Mai tidy up the mess. It’s nice, as they clean up in tandem, Mai babbling about her dress and her wedding photographer, both of which make Asami’s eyebrows rise when Mai tells her the costs. 

“The venue is so nice, Sami, it’s gonna be by the lake and next to a winery, which means so many pretty pictures! We’re going on another tour of it in a few weeks and I can’t wait to start thinking about decorations and color schemes and the flowers, all of the flowers. Will flower crowns for the bridesmaids be too much, you think?” Mai lets it all out in one breath, twirling the garbage bag in her hand as they clear up all the empty plates and cups. 

“I bet it’ll be fine.” Asami tries to be delicate with her words, not outright ask what she really wants to because maybe it’s a little bit rude, but-

She can’t help it.

“Mai?” 

“Hmm?” Mai looks over at her with her eyes alight, a smile on her face, as if her drunk breakdown in the bathroom a few weeks had never even happened. 

“So you guys are good, then?” Asami supposes that they must be, for Mai to be back to her regular level of excitement about the wedding planning. Because what else could even explain it?

Mai tilts her head, her eyebrows in a gentle furrow. “What do you mean?” 

Christ. Asami doesn’t want to have to spell it out. “It’s just...a little different from how you were feeling the night of the birthday, that’s all. When you were slightly panicking over whether this was the right choice.”

Asami’s curious, that’s it. Because how could Mai have jumped from the two extremes so fast? It makes no sense. How do you decide on someone just like that, after being on the fence for so long?

Mai shrugs. “It’s not me settling, if that’s what you’re wondering. Sometimes you just gotta go with what you have, y’know? He’s good enough, and I’m happy.”

Is she?

“Are you? A few weeks ago you were crying in the bathroom into a toilet bowl.” Asami doesn’t mean for it to come out so bluntly, but it’s true, especially when Mai had looked more lost than Asami had ever seen her before.

“I was also drunk, Asami.” Mai gives Asami a look as if she should know better, and it makes her want to scream. 

“But they always say that drunk words are sober thoughts.” Asami knows she’s pushing into territory that she shouldn’t, that she should be happy that her friend is happy, but-

“Why do you care so much?” Mai turns towards her, leaning an arm against the counter and Asami has to stop herself from shrinking under her gaze. “I was in my feelings. Relationships fluctuate, it’s normal to second guess decisions, even if they’re the right ones. I know you’re blissfully happy dating Korra, but not everyone is in a permanent honeymoon stage like you two.”

Asami’s heart trips at the mention of Korra’s name. She’s been doing so well, trying not to think about her and pushing all feelings about her away. She’s been dealing, she has. 

Because she has to.

“I’m-” Asami pauses, because the tightening in her chest is pulling just a little too hard, making her forget any words that she can use to explain because…

Korra. Her smile, the way her eyes flutter when she sleeps, the way she loves snuggling with Cinnamon, the way she yells at the TV.

But Asami needs to scrub her brain of the memories, because Korra isn’t hers and won’t ever be hers, even though the entire world fucking thinks so because they had been such good actors.

Asami’s always been good at nuking herself.

“You’re what?” Mai raises an eyebrow as she waits for her to continue, her face a little softer, less defensive. Asami wants to laugh, she really does, at how Mai’s spun the focus onto her now. She’s good.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about Korra and I.” So what if Asami scrubs at the counter a little too hard, trying to get rid of an imaginary stain that’s not even there in the first place?

Mai lets out a little laugh. “What, that you’re perfect with each other? The cutest couple? Yeah, we know.” 

Asami lets out a huff, because Mai doesn’t get it, no one gets it. “It’s not like that, we’re-”

“Doing great? Just fine, so you’re trying to make me question my own relationship instead?” 

“We’re not together, okay?” Asami’s voice breaks because of course it does, and she forgets how to breathe for a second because not keeping it inside anymore somehow feels wrong, against the rules. 

Those arbitrary rules, the ones that left Asami more of a mess than she wants to admit.

They’re not together. They’re not. Asami’s always known that. So why is it suddenly hard to draw air into her own lungs?

“You guys broke up? When?” Mai’s face softens as she drops the garbage bag in her hands, her expression shifting to one of sympathy and Asami hates it, she does, because she doesn’t need it. “Asami, I’m so sorry-”

“We never were! This, all of this... It wasn’t real. None of it was fucking real.”

None of it was real. 

Not the kisses, not the cuddles, not the constant texting, none of it.

Asami’s known it since the beginning, she had signed up for it willingly with Korra. She had been ready to fool everyone, they both had been.

So why does the reminder hurt so damn much?

“What?” Mai’s eyebrows are raising higher and higher, and Asami can see the cogs slowly turning in her brain. “What do you mean? How? What?”

“Haven’t seen you look this lost since we went to that French restaurant and the menu wasn’t in English.” Asami tries to offer a little smile, because maybe if she stops now, doesn’t think about it, she can still get through this unscathed. 

Though Mai has other plans.

“Stop deflecting, just...what? What do you mean it wasn’t real? The two of you being practically glued to each other, the way you looked at her like some light was shining out of her head...that wasn’t real?”

“I didn’t do that.” Asami mutters it under her breath, because she didn’t. No way.

“Shit, Asami. From the way you both looked at each other, I thought you were starting to like, fully fall in love. I’ve never seen you so smitten. Ever, actually. That had to be real.” Mai doesn’t believe it, Asami can tell, from the disbelieving scoff in her voice. 

Asami almost wants to share the same denial.

“She asked me to be her fake girlfriend so that she could win a bet. Literally all it was.” Asami doesn’t mean for her voice to sound so hollow, because it’s true. 

That’s all it had been. All they both signed up for. Nothing more than that. 

Is that why Korra had pulled away? 

Asami’s heart had started to take over by convincing her that maybe, maybe, there had been more between them. But there can’t be, not when the twisting in her chest feels way more painful than any scrape, any muscle soreness from a workout class. It’s too much, the fact that one person has the capacity to make Asami feel like this, even when she’s not physically present and breathing in front of her. 

Asami’s not sure when Korra had first twirled her way into her soul, pushing aside any doubts and fears in her mind without either of them even realizing that she’d done so. It’s disconcerting, to look back now and realize how much of an exception Korra had been to Asami’s ironfast rules. She’d been someone that Asami could talk to, tell anything to. Someone that Asami had felt comfortable pulling in close to her, someone that Asami had invited over - not for sex, but to meet her pets. Make dinner with her. Someone that Asami had gotten closer to without even realizing, someone that Asami still cares for so damn much-

But she can’t. It’s not worth it, not when Asami feels like she can’t breathe anymore because she misses Korra so much. 

“No wonder you agreed in the first place.” Mai’s voice is soft as she reaches out, squeezes Asami’s shoulder. “You never used to date.”

“Still don’t.” It’s a bitter laugh, the one that leaves Asami’s mouth. Because she doesn’t. And won’t. 

No fake dating, either. Not when it ends like this.

“But are you telling me none of that was real? Wait, let me finish-” Mai holds up a hand when Asami begins to protest, shushes her, and Asami has to stop herself from letting out a huff. “You’d light up like a Christmas tree, telling me about your dates and little things about her because you liked talking about her so much. And at the holiday party you guys fit so well together, you looked at her even when she didn’t notice with this tiny little smile on your face and before you call me weird for remembering that, it’s ‘cause you’re my best friend and I’ve never seen you look smitten before. Like, ever.”

“I’m just a really good actor.” It’s fruitless, not when Asami doesn’t believe it herself, not really. “But now that you say it, it’s weird you remembered that, Mai. Sure that’s not a bunch of bull?”

Mai gives her a look. “Please. I lie to you about how you look good in magenta, not about shit like this.”

“Wait, what is that about magenta-”

Mai waves a hand. “Point is? You had something, Asami. Maybe you still have it, I don’t know. You gotta tell me more. But is it worth not going after just because it didn’t start out that way?”

“Maybe it isn’t. Maybe I don’t want it.” Asami doesn’t. Not if it makes her feel this shit.

“I’m calling bullshit on that. Not when you look so happy with her.” Mai’s looking at her like it’s so easy, like being with Korra is something that can happen without any complications whatsoever. She doesn’t get it. 

Asami sighs. “It’s not that easy.”

If only it could be. If only she had the option of just reuniting with Korra and smoothing everything over, having their previous expectations give into something else, something realer. But she doesn’t even know if Korra feels it either, if she’s on the same page.

Hell, Asami doesn’t even know what page she’s on herself anymore. 

****

Korra shouldn’t do something as stupid as going and calling Asami. 

She shouldn’t.

Who’s to say Asami’s going to pick up, anyway? Not when Asami had made it clear that they’re done, that whatever existed between them was done. That she never wants to see Korra again. 

Quite frankly? Korra deserves it. 

Except that Korra misses Asami so fucking much. 

She thinks back to her last breakup with Ginger. It had been pretty amicable on both sides, the two of them letting each other go because they just knew that they weren’t a fit. That they’d be happier off separate from one another, and that constant irritations and bickering weren’t exactly an ideal setting to build a relationship upon.

Korra had healed from it. Sure, she’d allowed herself a little bit of jealousy, but as far as breakups go, it hadn’t been devastating to the immediate world around her. She had been fine.

Asami hadn’t even been Korra’s actual girlfriend, but this? This feels worse.

She can’t stop picturing Asami on her couch, Asami reaching for her hand without even realizing it. They way they have (had) so much in common, talking about all their fears and hopes and dreams because it had felt safe. Right. 

And now that the friendship is gone-

Had it been a friendship? On paper, yes. They had been partners in crime who became fast friends. But then it had been more under the guise of faking it and sure, they had been faking it in front of their friends and on social media, but then there had been so much that they hadn’t shown to others. That had just been for them.

That has to count for something, right?

Korra opens their text chain for the twentieth time that day, biting her lip because the unanswered message really hurts, even though she had done the same thing to Asami a few days before that. But she has to try, she has to try and reach out to Asami again because if she doesn’t, then she’s not going to be able to live with herself-

_ Incoming call from Asam Sato, 8:12 p.m. _

Asami needs to hang up, she can’t do this, she shouldn’t do this, she-

“Hello?”

Breathe, she needs to breathe, maybe this was a bad idea, maybe she should hang up-

“Asami? Are you there?”

God, she needs to say something before Korra thinks she’s a creep or something. She’s already written notes on what to say, for god’s sake, she just needs to get it out. Except that the words are trapped in her throat, wrapped up in layers of self doubt and second guessing and maybe this is a bad idea, going with her instincts and just calling without psyching herself out of it.

She can’t. 

“I can hear your breathing. I’m gonna talk, then.”

Asami’s not a loud breather. But maybe it’s better if Korra takes over, because she can’t talk, not right now.

“I’m sorry I iced you out. I didn’t know what else to do because I liked it so damn much. Spending time with you and doing things and just being with you and telling you everything and I started fucking catching feelings for you and I know that’s bad, I’m sorry, ‘cause I know you’re not interested and it’s fine, I can tamper it down I promise even though the bet is kinda done, I just don’t wanna lose you because this last little while has been shit without you ‘cause you’re the first one I wanna tell everything and the only one I wanna turn to and it’s fucking hard-”

“I love you.”

“What?”

Asami doesn’t mean for it to come out, and shit shit shit, it’s too much and she needs to never open her mouth again because she’s gonna keep fucking up everything around her-

“Asami?” 

Asami doesn’t know what dying feels like but maybe it’s akin to this, because her heart has never beat so fast and the living room around her is a little hazy, a little out of focus. The clock on her wall ticks loud enough to make her flinch, adding a slow drumroll to the way the blood is rushing in her veins. 

There’s no taking it back now. 

Maybe Korra will hate her. Maybe Korra won’t want to see her again. But she can’t keep living like this, not anymore. 

“I fucking love you, and I’m sorry.” Asami’s sorry because it’s going to keep messing everything up, Korra just has a few feelings and now Asami’s gone and said this, but she’s not taking it back, not now. She can’t. 

“What are you sorry for? Saying that? ‘Cause I love you too, so fucking much that it hurts and I miss you so much, Sami.”

The way that Korra’s voice breaks on the phone makes Asami’s heart drop, because she doesn’t want her to be hurt anymore, to feel upset and Asami can’t do this over the phone, she needs to be where Korra is in person because it’s too far, they’re too far. 

“I’m coming over.” 

****

Asami is five subway stops too far from Korra. 

The pattern that her fingers tap out on her thigh is reminiscent of her workout playlist, too fast and frantic but she’s going to implode if she doesn’t have the chance to move at all. The subway ads are only interesting to read for so long, and the bored commuters on the train are a stark contrast from her, some with their eyes closed, some with their noises buried in books. 

Asami wishes she could know the secret as to how they’re all capable of shutting off their minds just like that. 

Maybe it’s easier for everyone else on this train because none of them are going towards Korra, because no one else has so many unspoken things to let out for once and for all. Because no one else on this train knows what Asami is feeling, the jolt that’s now been sent to her heart after realizing she’s been changed by another person and never wants to go back. 

Asami wants Korra’s hand in hers, drawing soft circles while the warmness of her palm acts like an anchor, pulling the frantic beating of her heart back enough for her to breathe. 

The ding and announcement of Korra’s stop is a relief, feeling like a weight lifted because now Asami can move again, up the station stairs and even though her muscles are straining and she’s out of breath it’s better, because at least she’s doing something, making some progress. It feels strange, walking - no, running - through these familiar streets knowing what’s coming, knowing how different everything is going to be. 

And Asami wants it, welcomes it, for once in her life. 

Of course Korra lives on the top floor, of course Asami has to watch the floors climb ever so slowly, people coming in and out of the elevator as if they don’t have any cares in the world, as if they don’t get it, but it’s okay, it’s all okay when Asami reaches the 20th floor and it’s Korra’s and she’s only one hallway away from her. 

One hallway that shrinks into a handful of steps, a catch of a breath, a quick fiddle with her hair before Asami knocks. Because Korra’s on the other side with wide eyes that sparkle, tugging Asami inside by her wrist and pressing a kiss to her lips that Asami immediately deepens, and it’s worth it. 

Because the kiss is real.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is everyone!! 🥺 thank you all so much for the amazing feedback <3 i’m so glad you’ve all been enjoying this as much as i enjoyed writing it.

It’s five a.m. and Korra is sleeping in Asami’s arms. 

Asami’s not sure how they ended up in bed, not really, not when the clock on Korra’s wall had creeped past two, three a.m. and they had still been on the couch, talking and talking, undoing the story they’d created, the situation they’d caught themselves in. Korra had told Asami her side, about how things had clicked for her and how she didn’t want to be the one to ruin anything between them, and Asami had told hers in return. How Korra’s taken her hard, steadfast rules and stomped on them, made them irrelevant because who needs to stay away from girls, from relationships when Korra’s there? When being with Korra makes Asami happier than she ever thought she could be?

She’s never had this before, and it’s scary, feeling so much for someone. But at the same time, Asami’s never felt so vibrant, so alive. There’s a vine in her chest that blooms more and more in Korra’s presence, growing when Korra smiles at her or squeezes her hand or gives her a look when she tells a joke. It’s as if Asami’s broken through the glass that’s kept her from feeling this much for someone, except no - it had been broken months ago by Korra, but Asami’s just now beginning to look past the broken pieces, appreciating the way they reflect in the light. 

Nothing’s different, not really. They’re wrapped up in each other, and Asami’s watching the soft rise and fall of Korra’s chest. They’ve been in this position before. Physically, on paper, everything is the same. 

But Asami also feels a difference. There’s no more bet, no more faking. No doing this for Instagram comments or likes or any free food. She’s here because she wants to be, and Korra’s here and asleep and clutching Asami’s shirt while she dreams because she wants to be here, too. 

It doesn’t feel forced, or fake, not that it ever did. Now, it just feels right.

Korra begins to stir around seven, letting out a soft little sigh against Asami’s neck. Asami finds herself lost in the way Korra’s eyes blink awake, all sleepy and fluttering but looking...happy. 

Korra leans into Asami’s touch as she runs her fingers through her locks, lets out a little hum with a smile growing on her face. The rays from the window make her look like sunlight itself, because she’s glowing and Asami feels her own face pull into a smile, the way Korra always makes it do so.

“Hi.” 

“Hi.”

“You’re actually here.” Korra says it as if the idea itself is a marvel, that she still can’t quite believe it - and maybe she can’t, from the way that she’s reaching out for Asami’s waist, pulling herself closer.

“I am.” Asami’s here. She’s actually here, and not because they’re faking anything, not because they’re trying to fool their friends.

But because whatever exists between them is real.

There’s a tug in Asami’s chest, grabbing her attention for just a second, but enough that the thought holds onto her - what is it now, that they have?

It’s not their acting. It’s not just being friends, because Asami doesn’t kiss a friend like that, nor does she care for a friend in the same way that she’s beginning to care for Korra. 

It’s-

Different.

Asami knows what she wants. What her heart is hoping, wishing for, what she can picture with Korra. And Korra wants it too, because Korra had also said I love you and it has to mean something, right, rather than something just said in the heat of the moment-

“Why does it look like your brain is speeding down a dirt road at a million miles an hour?”

Asami has so many things that she wants to say, things that they both need to talk about except that it feels like all of her words are gone now, with Korra curled up against her side. But she tries, opens her mouth because they do need to communicate, to not keep things back anymore.

“Are we…?” 

Asami trails off, because what is she supposed to end her question with, really? She doesn’t know what they are. 

Korra raises a single eyebrow and there’s a smile playing on her face, one that does wonders to calm the beating in Asami’s chest. Korra traces her fingers along Asami’s collarbone, Asami’s shoulder, before pressing a light kiss to her skin and Asami can’t help the way that it makes her blush. 

“Are we what? Didn’t finish your question.” Korra’s looking like she’s enjoying Asami’s internal struggle - Asami’s glad at least one of them is. 

So Asami replaces it with another question. “What are we going to do?” 

“What do you want to do?” The lightness in Korra’s voice has been replaced with an edge, a nervousness, and paired with the way Korra’s eyes are flitting across Asami’s face it’s almost as if Korra is nervous for what she’s going to say.

As if Korra has anything to fear, on Asami’s end.

So Asami reaches out, tucks a lock of hair behind Korra’s ear. “I know what I want. And that happens to be you.”

Asami knows it now. She’s known it for awhile, pushed it down because they had been co-conspirators and just friends and because Asami isn’t a relationship person.

Or at least, hadn’t been a relationship person.

“But all that stuff you said…” Korra trails off, tilts her head slightly, “about not wanting to date because it all ends bad and you’re happy being by yourself - what about that?”

“Apparently, avoiding relationships because of potential pain doesn’t work.” Asami snorts, wraps an arm around Korra’s waist. “Got myself hung up over you and had my heart broken enough.”

“Sorry.” Korra blushes, buries her face in her hands and Asami’s quick to pull them back, press a kiss to her palm.

“Not your fault. Not mine, either. It just feels like even if you think you’re not meant for something, the universe will somehow find a way to make it happen. And it made me realize that this is something that I want. That I don’t want to run from it.” 

And how can Asami, when Korra is here and with her and it feels so natural, so right? When so much has changed between them but Korra is still Korra, still smiling the way she always does and resting her head on Asami as if it’s the easiest thing to do?

Korra smiles, tilts her head slightly before leaning in to press a kiss to Asami’s lips. 

It’s hard for Asami not to deepen the kiss, to not open herself up to Korra because she wants it, god she does, but-

-they still have things to iron out between them. 

So Asami pulls back, ignores every instinct in her that wants to flip Korra over on the mattress. Korra’s looking at her with slightly dazed eyes already, albeit a bit confused. 

“What?”

“What happens if we’re not on the same page again? If something happens and we misunderstand and end up fighting?” Asami bites her lip, because she doesn’t like the thought. 

Asami doesn’t do this. Relationships. Compromise. Considering someone else. Before, she hadn’t wanted to. But now she wants to forge a new path with Korra, wants to discover things with her but she doesn’t know how. 

It’s stupid. She’s an adult and still doesn’t know how to function in a relationship. What if she’s the one to mess everything up between them, because she doesn’t do the right things?

But then Korra’s pressing a light kiss to her lips and it cuts through the worries that run rampant through her brain, quiets them down because it’s easier to focus on the softness of Korra’s hair when it brushes against her cheek. 

“A wise lady once told me that communication is key. We’re gonna talk so dang much that you’ll get tired of me-”

“I won’t get tired of you-”

“And we’re gonna talk through things as they come up. Like adults. Because we’re adults.”

Asami raises an eyebrow. “You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of that one.”

“Shush.” Korra swats at her arm, but smiles nonetheless. “Seriously, though. I’m not good at relationships either, so it’s new to me, too. But we’re gonna get through things together by being honest and not holding back. I dunno how good I’ll be, or how good you’ll be, either. But I’m willing to try if you are.”

Korra’s eyes are tentative, and the hand Asami reaches out to smooth the crease above her brows feels natural. 

Asami smiles. “I’m ready to try, too. Maybe we both have something to learn.”

Korra nods, making a face. “Oh, Sami. I’d tell you all about my past relationships, but I think that would send you running for the hills. Because hurricane Korra inevitably comes to town.”

“Oh, really?” Asami snorts. It’s somehow not hard to picture Korra easily getting into fights. 

“Promise to try and talk to you instead of immediately scrapping or running.” Korra’s smile is sheepish, and it makes Asami interlace her fingers with hers.

“And I’ll try my best to talk about things and not pull away.” The words are easy to say, because Asami believes them. 

There’s no guarantee for anything, ever. But it doesn’t mean that she can’t try, that the both of them can’t try together. Because it’s going to be worth it, something that Asami is finally, finally beginning to believe.

Instagram story posted by @korrawaters. Description: Asami sitting at her kitchen table, her legs crossed as she sips from her coffee mug, Apollo sitting beside her. Caption: ‘my fave morning view.’ 

Reply from @kuvira: NOOO WAYYYYY 

Reply from @opalbeifong: did you talk to her? FINALLY! Also you owe me like 10 lunches now, get ready to pay up on monday!!

Instagram story posted by @asamisato. Description: Korra holding Cinnamon in her arms and snuggling him, a wide smile on her face. Caption: several heart emoji faces.

Reply from @Mai: WAIT I THOUGHT U BROKE UP

Reply from @Mai: OR WEREN’T ACTUALLY TOGETHER

Reply from @Mai: WHAT’S GOING ON

Reply from @Mai: answer my FaceTime call!!!

****

“Got your coffee.” Asami sets the cup down in front of Korra and sits down across from her in the plastic cafeteria chair, taking a sip of her own. 

“You remembered my order.” Korra can’t help but grin as she takes a sip from the cup, because it just feels so domestic. 

“I did, but so did the baristas. I started mentioning two creams, three sugars and an extra vanilla shot, and they began to write your name on the cup before even asking me who it was for.” Asami raises an eyebrow. “How do you absolutely not lose your shit with the sugar high after drinking one of these?”

“It’s called having an immunity to sugar. I’m already crazy, so it just fuels me.” Korra sniffs, a faux air of superiority in her voice and it has the intended effect of making Asami crack up.

“You’re so silly.”

“And you like it.”

“That I do.” Asami’s eyes are warm, and it makes Korra’s heart feel like it’s flipping in her chest before-

“Hey! Fry stealer!”

Korra pouts when Asami shoves a fry from Korra’s lunch into her mouth, reaching out to grab another for good measure before she winks. 

“Sharing is caring.” Asami pushes her own salad bowl to the middle of their table, gestures for Korra to have a bite. 

Korra wrinkles her nose, because the salad looks a bit sad. “If you think I’m eating that, you are sorely mistaken. There’s no cheese or caramelized almonds, there’s only lettuce. Where’s the dressing? Where’s the flavor?”

Asami snorts. “First of all, that's kale, not lettuce. Second, the dressing’s over here, on the side.” Asami lifts up a tiny container, holds it out for Korra to pour over the salad. 

“Much better.” Korra grabs it, wastes no time in sprucing the sad looking leaves up a little bit. Not that it works much. “Though I can see why you still want to steal my fries over eating this.”

Asami doesn’t have time to defend her food choices because the squeak of a chair makes the two of them jump in their seats, turning to see Mai pulling up a seat, resting her elbows on their table with her eyes gleaming. 

“You,” Mai starts, pointing at Asami with an accusatory look, “have not answered my messages. Were the two of you really that busy railing each other?”

Korra has to cover her mouth to avoid letting loose a snicker, but Asami doesn’t even miss a beat, looking as if she’s used to Mai’s words. “We’re at work. Do you think I’d be having sex with Korra at work?”

Mai clicks her tongue. “I mean, you two did almost do the deed on the Christmas party dance floor.”

“You really love to bring that up, huh?” Asami makes a face towards Mai, but winks at Korra and she can’t help herself from grinning back. 

“Doesn’t matter. Tell me.” Mai leans forward on her elbows, looking between the two of them. 

“Tell you what?” Korra can’t resist joining, either, because Mai is so fun to wind up. 

Mai groans, dropping her face onto the table. “Are you two a couple? Are you two not a couple? Has this just been a giant social experiment to torment my brain? I need answers, you assholes.”

Asami pats Mai’s shoulder, looking over at Korra with a raised eyebrow, a wordless question on her features. 

Should they tell their friends?

Korra figures that they all deserve to know, at this point, after having to weather through the drama from both her and Asami. So she gives a small nod and a smile to Asami, who taps on Mai’s shoulder, gets her to raise her face from the table and sit up straight. 

“It started as a fake arrangement so that Korra could win a bet against her friends. And then we became friends-”

“- way close friends-”

“-and both liked each other, had some miscommunications-”

“-a little bit pigheaded-”

“-but we figured it out.” Asami’s smile is soft as she finishes their joint explanation. 

The fact that they’re playing off of each other so easily now, able to predict what the other is going to say feels so markedly different from how they’d been just a few days ago. When Korra had no idea how Asami had felt, when she had wanted to get through to her but was just so scared. 

And now? She has nothing to hide or hold back in the least, and the feeling is freeing, as if the last vines tethering the two of them to uncertainty have finally been cut. 

Mai looks between the two of them, a faux pout on her face. “Jesus Christ. How disgustingly cute. But,” she pauses, her eyes taking on a gleam, “so did y’all...y’know...do the deed? Consummate this relationship and all that? Or were you already doing the dirty? Are you being the thots I know you two have the potential to be?”

“My god, Mai.” Asami rolls her eyes and Korra can’t hold back a giggle behind her hand. “You’re so lewd.”

“Answer the question.” 

Asami looks over, makes eye contact with Korra and the slight raise of her eyebrow makes the memories of the previous night burn bright in her brain. The way Asami had eaten her out against the wall. The way Asami had come with her name on her lips as her back arched against the mattress, loud and not holding back and definitely heard by the neighbors because neither of them could be quiet at that point. The way the sheets on Korra’s bed had ended up on the ground, still there in the morning when the two of them had woken up tangled in each other’s arms. The way Korra's still a little bit sore, but pleasantly so, and how she’d had to use some concealer along her neck and collarbone this morning because Asami and her were like insatiable teenagers. 

But Mai doesn’t need to know all of those details. 

“You could say we did.” Asami takes a delicate sip of her coffee as the words leave her mouth and Korra nods with approval, because it’s just enough. 

Mai whoops, letting out a cheer that makes the employees at the tables closest to them turn to look over, and Korra can’t even bother to feel embarrassed. Not when last night had been the best night she has had in weeks. 

“So proud of you two. You’re both doing amazing.” Mai lets out a faux happy sigh, a hand to her heart. 

“And you’re ridiculous.” Asami pats Mai’s shoulder, and Korra’s hit by how glad she is that Asami’s friends like her.

Korra’s also happy by how comfortable her own friends are with Asami. A little too comfortable, actually, by the way that they slam their lunch trays on the table, pull up chairs of their own and introduce themselves to Mai before turning accusatory glares towards her and Asami.

“How do we know you two aren’t faking this again?” Opal narrows her eyes, taking a noisy sip of her coffee, and it’s all Korra can do not to laugh.

“‘Cause we aren’t actively trying to get food from you? And cause last night Asami did this thing with her tongue that-”

“Nasty-”

“Don’t you dare complete that sentence-”

“Korra!”

Asami squeaks out the last one, giggling and shoving her shoulder and Korra can’t help but join in, winking at her. “Sorry, I promise I wasn’t going to complete that sentence?”

“You better not.” Kuvira sniffs. “My ears are scarred enough already.”

“You say that as if you weren’t trying to make me go and talk to Asami and work things out.” Korra’s glad for her friends, she really is, for how much they’re always on her side and wanting the best for her. Even if they do so while grumbling the whole time.

“Aw, you did?” Asami’s face is soft as she looks between Kuvira and Opal, her eyes wide.

“Mhm,” Opal nods, “not that she listened. Chicken.”

“That’s only ‘cause Asami beat me to it!” Korra’s protests are futile because the entire table is cracking up, and her huff and crossing of her arms don’t leave her pouting for long, not when Asami places a kiss to her head. 

And it feels right. Not fake, not forced, but just how they are, and how they deserve to be. Surrounded by their friends, even as they’re laughing at her expense, Korra can’t remember a time where she’s smiled as much, feeling this content. Because everything feels like it’s falling into place. 

****

Korra opens Asami’s office door as quietly as she can, because Asami’s on a conference call and even though it’s supposed to end in five minutes, she doesn’t want to disturb her. Yet.

Even though what she’s found in her own desk drawer is definitely worth disrupting a conference call over.

So she sits in the chair across from Asami and waits, her knees bouncing as she tries to keep her mouth shut and Asami’s smile when she looks over along with the tilt of her head both make Korra’s cheeks feel warm.

Asami signs off the call after what feels like hours but what the clock on the wall says is only ten minutes, and Korra lets out a whoop because, well, finally.

“Hi.” Asami’s eyes are filled with amusement, and Korra wants to hop off her chair, come around the side of Asami’s desk and climb in her lap, cover her face in kisses. Which she’d do at the drop of a hat, except for the fact that Asami’s office has windows that face the rest of the floor.

Not exactly a sight that their coworkers should see.

“Hi. Missed you. Also look what I went and found in my drawer, it’s a piece of history that needs to be saved forever, and also you need to see it because, shit.” 

Korra fishes the sheet out of her blazer pocket, smoothing out the creases that have deepened on the paper with time. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since they’d come up with the contents together, back when things had been so different from how they are now.

“What is it?” Asami leans forward over the desk, turning her head to read the paper before Korra flips the paper for her, and her eyes widen in realization. “Is that…?”

“You bet it is.” Korra almost can’t contain her glee, not when Asami’s reaction is perfect, the shock on her face matching Korra’s own expression when she’d pulled the sheet of paper out while cleaning her drawer. 

“Oh my god.” Asami gasps, a grin growing on her face to match Korra’s as she points to the title. “Our rules!”

Their rules. Back when they had been faking a relationship, back when the most important thing to Korra had been winning a bet and some free food. Back when a Chipotle bowl would be a worthy prize, if she could be successful in getting the blonde project manager whom she always saw in the cafeteria to give her the time of day.

And Asami has. They’ve both grown and changed so much over the last year, gone from faking it to denying their feelings to being together for the last nine months. Nine months of waking up to Asami’s kisses and seeing Asami all soft and rumpled outside of work and knowing the softer sides of her. Nine months of seeing the way Asami lights up when she shows up, nine months at Asami laughing at her stupid jokes because somehow she finds them the funniest of all.

Nine months that Korra wouldn’t trade for the world.

“Let’s see.” Asami straightens out the paper underneath her fingers, points to the first line as she clears her throat. “Number one - no dating anyone else.”

Korra grins. “Now that one wasn’t hard at all. I was only into you.”

Asami rolls her eyes, though the smile on her face tells Korra that she can’t contest it, either. “Number two - show up at events together. We did pretty well with that one back then, didn’t we? The holiday party?” 

“We certainly gave all the interns a show on the dance floor.” Korra still remembers the red jumpsuit Asami had worn, how badly she had wanted to get Asami out of it. Hey, maybe she can convince Asami to wear it again sometime soon.

“Number three - light PDA only. Oops?” Asami looks up at her with a sheepish expression and Korra can’t help but crack up.

“We weren’t even together then and we were swapping spit like it was no big. No self control whatsoever.” 

It’s funny to look back, now that they’ve been together for a while. How it had felt like they were walking such a fine line at the time, teetering on the edge and yet it had been so invigorating, so fun. Like they had been poking a timebomb that had been ready to explode - and explode it eventually did - but they’d done it anyway.

“Number four - interact on social media like a couple.” Asami looks up at that one, holding up her phone which is open to her Instagram profile. Korra’s in all of the pictures along the top row, two couple pictures and one shot of Korra holding Asami’s cat. “Looks like we still haven’t stopped that one.”

“And I hope we don’t, since we’re still together. Unless there’s something you wanna tell me?” Korra raises an eyebrow, and Asami’s quick to clap a hand over her mouth.

“Noooo, not what I meant, and you know that.” Asami’s pout is so cute that Korra can’t help but lean over the desk, press a kiss to her lips, even though the windows along Asami’s wall don’t have any blinds. 

“I know. But it’s fun to wind you up.”

“Meanie.”

“You like it.”

Asami huffs. “Number five - no falling in love.” Even Asami cracks a smile at that one, and the way her eyes are sparkling make Korra wonder how she’d ever convinced herself that Asami hadn’t liked her in the first place.

“So we definitely didn’t follow that rule, huh?” Korra reaches her hand across the desk, intertwines her fingers in Asami’s. 

“Nope. We definitely let that one slide. Overall, I’d say we’ve failed our assignment. Except for the fact that we’ve both ended up with the best prize of all.” 

“And what’s that?” Korra has to hold in her laugh so that her joke lands, because she really does have a habit of ruining punchlines for herself. “Getting laid?”

“Ugh.” Asami makes a face, groaning as she drops her head into her hands, and Korra can’t help but crack up. “Remind me why I’m with you again?”

“To get laid?”

“Korra.” 

Asami’s whine is even funnier because she’s in her fancy desk chair, in her fancy office, and it contrasts in the best way. It’s the Asami that Korra knows well, the Asami that Korra gets to see all the time. The Asami that she counts herself lucky to experience. 

“You love me. Remember when you said it first?” Korra flashes her an angelic smile, and Asami’s nose crinkles.

“You love bringing that up, don’t you?” 

“Course I do. That was so romantic. At least in the top ten moments of my life.” 

“Aww.” Asami’s frown is gone from her face. “Even more than when we got the blooming onion at the fair that one time?”

“Well, when you mention that…ow! Fine, fine, yes, even above the blooming onion. Jesus.” Korra lets out a grumble when Asami kicks at her feet under the table, mumbles under her breath because fair snacks really are her favorite.

But then again, so is Asami. 

Korra had always been the type to wait for someone to sweep her off of her feet, thinking that she would be ready for it to happen, that she would be practically expecting the moment. Except it hasn’t been like that with Asami, and it almost makes it better, when she looks back on things. Because, in a way, Korra has been swept off her feet - falling for someone whom she hasn’t expected to, someone she may not have even talked to at the time were it not for the bet, and realizing that her person has been around without her even expecting it. 

It’s better than a fairytale, because it’s so perfectly them, and Korra never wants their story to ever end. 

“Hey, Korra?”

“Yeah?” Korra leans her head on her hand, wondering if Asami is feeling as sentimental as she is after reading the list, seeing how far they’ve come, where they’ve ended up.

“You got mascara on your nose.”

Ah.

“Love you too.” Korra grumbles out, but it’s okay, really, when Asami reaches over to wipe it herself, pressing a kiss to her cheek (‘it’s liquid lipstick, there’s no lipstick mark, promise’) and squeezing her hand.

Because sometimes love is more than just declarations. It’s having someone to take care of you and catch things that you may miss, it’s someone to watch trash television with you and help you make dinner when you’re too tired to make a meal on your own. It’s familiarity and stupid jokes and memories that’ll never, ever stop being funny. It’s knowing what you want because everything else in comparison just feels dull. And sometimes, just sometimes, it’s a project manager at your firm who’s terrified of spooky movies and loves hummus way more than the average person ought to. 

And Korra’s still hit sometimes with how lucky she is, the fact that she’s found her.

  
  



End file.
